One Time Mistake
by Exsinion-sama
Summary: AU: Nel gets invited to one of the biggest parties ever at her school. Once at the party, she accidentally gets drunk and ends up doing something that ruins her life as when she wakes up to see Albel, a growing crush, sleeping next to her...naked. Alnel
1. Chapter 1

One Time Mistake

Guess whose back! Hey there! I'm here to bring everyone the second official high school fic among the alnels! Well, at least one that mainly focuses on Albel and Nel. Are you ready? Haha, this is going to be fun! Plus, there's been a major drought for the alnels. What happened to everyone? Hopefully this will bring some people back.

Disclaimer: Bah! Why we have to continue writing this, I have no clue. You say it one time, you've said it a million. Please don't make me repeat it..."I don't own Star Ocean or its characters..." Happy?

Note: OOC-ness ahead! Don't like it, well then go kiss…**LASELLE**! High school life is tough and crazy; we all go through with it.

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"Hey Nel, did you hear about the party tonight at Cliff Fitter's place?" A girl whispered to her neighbor.

"...Yeah." was Nel Zelpher's meek reply.

"Are you gonna go?" The girl asked again.

"I don't know, Tynave, we have a test on Monday and you know I don't like to be unprepared."

"Oh c'mon, don't be like that! We already know you're going to ace that test, why bother studying? Besides, this is going to be the coolest party since Fayt Leingod's birthday! It's the talk of the school! Everyone who's _anyone_ is coming; it's an instant popularity booster, and if you miss out, you'll be considered a nobody. You wouldn't want that would you Nel; you've worked too hard for your title. Right Farleen?" Another girl sitting in front of Tynave nodded.

"But still, my parents might not agree! They don't want me to get anything less than an A, so not studying for this test is out of the question. And as for this party, if it's unsupervised and alcohol is present, I absolutely cannot go." Nel argued.

"Who says you have to tell them where you're going? Stop being a goody-goody and loosen up. It's the weekend! Take a break; go out a bit and have fun for once. One time won't kill you right?"

Nel bit her lip in thought, "Erm...I guess I'll go, but just this once though."

"That's more like it! You need to get away more often, Nel. You're going to kill yourself with the amount of work you do. Clair is getting worried too...anyways, I hope to see you tonight!" Tynave smiled.

'Hmm, now what to wear? Something casual or something showy? Oh gosh, I wouldn't have to worry about that if I weren't going to this party.'

Nel Zelpher sighed, she was being dragged somewhere again. Of course, her presence was somewhat required at this party, seeing as she was one of the "popular, looked-up-to" people, but that never stopped her from turning down a party invitation before.

She was known as "Ms. Nel Zelpher, most perfect student and role model at Peterny High". She was a top student, she excelled in all subjects she had, and all of the teachers loved her. She was _the_ best student in school, and she would have preferred it no other way.

But because to her school came first, she never had time to explore the more personal things in life...like her love life. She had also earned the nickname "Ice Queen" because she'd turn down all offers for a boyfriend. She had friends that were guys though, but just friends, nothing more.

To her, love wasn't that important, it was something that could break you to pieces if not mutual. So this was her view: Why bother to love, when it will hurt you? She didn't understand love at all, but she figured she'd know when she was in love...when she was in love, and it sure as hell wasn't right now.

Her thoughts about the party preoccupied her so much, she didn't realize that the bell ending homeroom, rang. She got up and collected her stuff then walked out of the classroom and into the bustling hallways. She eventually made it to her locker, with much difficulty, and took out her next class's books. As she was closing her locker, a mass of dark brown and blond hair appeared from the locker next to her.

She stared at the strange combination of hair colors, wondering if it was natural or just highlights, but soon the hair's owner straightened up and looked at her. She gulped; those eyes! She couldn't find the will to look away from those deep, wine colored eyes! And the person who these eyes belonged to was the infamous Albel Nox, a popular jock and part-time bully at school.

When Nel was caught staring, Albel scowled. She gulped again and bowed, saying, "Uh...umm…good morning!"

Albel only glared at her then walked away, muttering under his breath. Occasionally he'd look back at her, watching her finish getting ready for her next class, but he soon walked too far for him to see her anymore. She looked up from her book bag to see if Albel was still around, he was no where to be seen. After giving up searching through the crowds for him, she eventually walked down the same hallway, as her class was in the same direction.

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School got out at its usual time, 3:05 PM, and Nel was hurrying to her dark red Audi A4. She unlocked her car and threw her bag in the back seat. Just as she was entering the car a voice yelled out her name. She looked up to see Albel in front of her car, smirking at her as he passed by.

"There's a rumor going around about you, Zelpher. Now I usually don't care to listen to such nonsense, but this intrigued me." He said as he walked to his black BMW Sedan 330i next to her car, and leaned against it. "Is it true that you're letting go for once? That _the_ "Perfect Ms. Zelpher and Ice Queen" of Peterny High actually accepted an invitation to a party, and not just any party, but _the_ party of the year! Is it true, Zelpher?"

Nel sighed but nodded in response. Albel raised a brow and smiled, "Hmm, well I'll see you tonight then."

He entered his car and drove away, leaving Nel behind to question his intentions. 'He's so strange! First he glares at me for staring at him, and then for the first time ever, decides to talk to me! As if this day can't get any weirder. Oh well, better get ready for this party.'

Nel entered her car and left the high school parking lot to head towards Aquios, her hometown. She soon saw her house--correction, mansion-- off in the distance, and sped the rest of the way there. After opening the huge gates separating her mansion from the outside world, she drove in and parked the car outside.

She ran into the house, quickly rushing into her room and locking it. If she wanted to go to this party, she'd have to lie to her parents, and that was something she never did. She jumped on her queen sized bed and started thinking up what excuses she could give to her overly-strict parents.

"I got it; I'll say that I'm sleeping over at a friend's house for over night studying. So should I not have the strength to make it home after this party, I would still be excused. My parents would buy it because they always want me to study anyway. But which friend do I choose?" Nel put on a thoughtful look while thinking about who she would spend the night with.

Perhaps Tynave? She was the one who brought her into this mess by persuading her to go. Nel could blame her if anything should happen; but her parents might not let her stay over at a classmate's house without knowing them. She was out then.

Who's next, maybe Farleen? 'Oh Apris no! I can only deal with her voice for so long, if I have to deal with it all night I'll go nuts! If her voice is already as bad as it is, who knows how bad it is while she snores?' Nel shuddered at the thought and shook her head. 'Next person...'

What about Clair? She and Nel had been friends since they were born and Nel's parents were close friends to the Lasbards. 'That could work! I trust Clair enough to help me out with this. Alright it's settled; I'll call her after I take a bath.'

Nel slid off her bed and headed into the connecting bathroom to take a soothing body bath. She turned on the water and poured in one of her favorite bath oils, strawberry. Once content with the warm temperature, she undressed and slipped herself into the waters.

"Mmm, nothing better to ease the muscles than a nice warm bath. It just melts the pain away!" She rested her head on the side of the tub and stared at the ceiling, enjoying the soak when Albel's smile appeared in her head. She sat up immediately, water being forced out of the tub by the sudden action.

"_Hmm, well I'll see you tonight then."_ His voice rung through her ears. A shiver ran down her spine, and it wasn't due to the cool air in the room, it was from excitement.

Why was she excited? Could it have been for the party, or for something else? More importantly, why was it _Albel's_ words that got her excited? Maybe the 'something else' was for _him_?

'No, that can't be! I've never seen nor talked to the guy since the beginning of the school year! How could I have feelings for the guy after one 5 minute talk with him? The excitement is for the party…it has to be.'

With that Nel slid further into the water, sinking to her chin in the bathtub. She stayed there for another few minutes before scrubbing herself down with soap and washing it all off, then stepping out and drying herself.

After wrapping a towel around herself, Nel headed over to her long walk-in closet. She walked down the single aisle, occasionally stopping when she saw something cute to wear. Pulling out a few clothes she walked out again and dumped the clothes on her bed.

She then arranged a few of them, matching them together to look good. Her choice remained between a bright red halter top that dipped low in a V to show some cleavage with a black miniskirt, or a simple blue tank top with a dark blue pair of low cut jeans. Sexy or casual? Well obviously sexy; she wanted to prove to everyone that she could be a little wild when she wanted to be.

'Is that the only reason though?' she asked herself. She shrugged it off and began to put on the clothes when suddenly the door knocked. She quickly put on a sweater and some sweatpants she had out and answered the door, it was a maid.

"Lady Nel, I would just like to inform you that your parents are now home." The maid said with her head bowed.

"Oh, thank you. Tell them I'll be down in a few and that I want to discuss something with them."

"Yes, right away milady." The maid then walked away leaving Nel with growing nervous thoughts.

'My parents are never going to buy it! They're gonna find out and I'm going to be grounded forever, _and I've never been grounded in my life_!'

She scrambled over to her private phone and quickly called Clair.

"Clair!" She said loudly through the phone when her friend picked up. "I need your help!"

Clair, surprised at the desperateness in Nel's voice, slowly responded. "What's the matter, Nel?"

"I'm going to the party tonight!"

"Really? Your parents actually agreed?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" Nel practically screamed. "I'm going to lie to them..." A long pause met her ears as Clair processed what she just said.

"You're going to lie to your parents? _The_ Nel Zelpher, is going to lie? And how am I going to help you do this?"

"I'll say I'm sleeping over at your house for studying. Studying is the lie, sleeping over - I hope, with your permission - won't be. My parents will have to agree since they always want me studying anyway."

"I still can't believe you're doing all this to go to a party! You've never gone to such extremes before...okay, I'll see what I can do, but you better pay me back big for this!"

"You don't know how thankful I am! I'll call you back after I talk with my parents. Later!" Nel then hung up and ran out of her bedroom to the parlor.

As expected her parents were seated on a large sofa talking about today's events. Nel walked up to them and bowed. "Mother, Father; good evening."

"Good evening as well. One of the maids told us you wanted to talk to us, what is it, Nel dear?" Neville asked her only daughter.

Nel fidgeted in front of her parents. Was lying always this hard? "C-Clair wants me to sleep over for a night of studying. C-can I go?" she managed to get out.

"Of course you can. Did her parents already give their consent?" He asked again. He began to notice her nervousness.

"Yes father, I'll be driving over to her place after I finish packing." She looked at her feet, trying her best to avoid meeting her father's eyes. He would be able to tell if she was lying by easily looking at her own eyes.

"Okay then, we'll see you tomorrow." Neville said as Nel bowed and thanked her parents. "Oh, and Nel?"

Nel, who was already at the door, stopped and faced her father, "Yes?"

"You're not lying to us about sleeping over are you?" He caught her tensing up at his question.

"N-no father, I would never lie to you. See you tomorrow." And she quickly sped out of the room.

Nel ran back to her room and shut the door again. 'That was a close one, he almost caught me. But I did it! I lied to my parents, and now I can go to the party. I better call Clair back...'

As Nel talked with Clair, she packed her bag with the necessary things needed for a sleepover and some things for the party. When she was finished talking with Clair and packing, she said goodbye to her parents one last time and headed to her car.

She was soon on her way to Clair's house, smiling the whole way there. She arrived in no time and Clair was outside ready to greet her.

"Clair!" Nel said as she embraced her best friend.

"Excited are we? Well I was planning on leaving in about 20 minutes. Think you can wait that long?"

Nel nodded and followed Clair inside her huge mansion of a house. After climbing the large marble stairs up to Clair's room, they entered the room and sat on Clair's bed. Nel put her stuff down and decided she'd move it later. She laid on her friend's spacious bed, her mind starting to drift off again. Clair noticed the look and questioned it.

Nel didn't respond right away, she merely grunted in response. "Nel, I hate to bother you while you're thinking, but we only have 15 minutes to finish getting ready." Clair said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Nel sat up and started to take off the sweater and pants, leaving her in her sexy party outfit. Clair gave Nel a surprised look; she'd never seen her best friend wear such a thing. Nel was always a conservative and modest girl, and seeing her wear this revealing top and skirt just raised her suspicions ten-fold.

Nel didn't notice the look as she turned around to look for her makeup case. She took it out and began to apply the stuff. After that she began to do her hair, putting up some loose strands in clips. Pretty soon she was ready to go, and so was Clair.

They went out the door and loaded up into Clair's silver Jetta and were now on their way to the party.

XXXXX

Heh, wow, seems pretty exciting! I would want to look my best too if I were to meet Albel! Well, I hope everyone liked it, seems to be pretty original! PLEASE REVIEW!

I don't know how long this fanfiction may last, but this is only the first chapter, there's much more to come. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

One Time Mistake

A quick note, thanks to all of the reviewers, little that it is, but I'm content and eager to bring you the next chapter. This is going to be a critical chapter so SAVOR IT, school's here again and who knows how tough it's going to be this year…

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Notes: See Chapter 1

**WARNING**: Implied sex! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

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Nel and Clair arrived at the Cliff Household in good time, but unfortunately a bit late. There was quite a lack of parking spaces along the street and so they struggled to find one. Eventually they did find a spot, parked, and headed for the front door. They hadn't even opened the door yet and could already hear shouting and screaming on top of music.

Nel gave a look like she wanted to pass out, just now realizing what she was about to embark on, but she shook her head knowing she was too far in this now to back out. She reached for the knob and turned it slowly, but before she could push the door open, it did so itself and she and Clair were suddenly tackled by hugs.

"Nel! Clair! You came after all, now we can really have some fun!" It was Tynave and Farleen who had come to greet them.

At the sound of her name, everyone turned and looked at Nel, surprise etched on their faces. Whispers began to fire through the crowd and more people began to stare at Nel. She uneasily waved at them and made her way through the onslaught of people. As she passed through, a couple of murmurs met her ears. Were they that surprised to see her?

Eventually she came into the living room, where everyone was at. Suddenly a tall blonde came stalking up to her and gave her a huge bear hug. She yelped in surprise and immediately tensed up. Cliff let her go and stood back to give her room.

"Thanks for coming Nel! I didn't think you would accept the invitation, since you're famous for turning them down." Cliff gave her a goofy grin. "Well anyways, let me introduce you to my girlfriend and friends."

He then pointed to the group of people behind him and began recalling their names. "First off we've got Mirage, my lovely soul mate." She and Mirage shook hands.

"Next we've got Sophia and Maria," More handshakes, "And lastly, Fayt and Albel." Nel shook hands with Fayt and left it out for Albel to shake, but he did not move an inch.

Cliff didn't fail to notice it and quickly cut the awkwardness. "Don't mind him, he's always a grump. Seems like he's got something shoved up deep in his ass." Nel giggled a bit and Albel glared at her and Cliff. "So anyways, just go wherever you want to go and do whatever you want to do. Just have fun Nel, you need it."

Cliff then waved and stalked off into the crowd, Mirage in tow. She looked at the remaining four friends and smiled uncomfortably. There was an awkward silence that followed and Nel wanted nothing more than to shrink away.

Fayt, noticing the silence, spoke up saying, "Well, we better get going. Have to go mingle with the crowd, you know."

Sophia and Maria nodded their heads and said goodbye before disappearing into the crowd, Fayt close behind. Now Nel was left with Albel who had done nothing but glare at her since being introduced. Her uneasiness grew even more the longer she felt his strong stare. In her haste to get away from him, she quickly mumbled an, "Excuse me, but I'm a bit thirsty…I'll be right back," and quickly hid herself in the crowd, leaving Albel to scowl alone.

Nel managed to get to the snacks table, completely avoiding all of the people that wanted to meet her and most importantly, Albel. She took in a deep breath, already feeling better than she did next to him. She grabbed a cup on the table and poured herself some punch to drink. Just as she was about to take her first sip, a voice whispered in her ear, "I thought you said you'd be right back?"

She practically jumped in the air and almost spilled her punch upon realizing it was Albel again. He chuckled as he watched her become nervous yet again; this only angered her and she grimly took a sip of her punch, making a face as it left a burn in her throat. Albel caught her drinking it and slightly narrowed his eyes.

'Doesn't this fool realize the punch is spiked? Then again maybe not, she doesn't go to parties often enough to know they do that a lot…Hmm, I don't think I'll say anything, she might liven things up here…'

He inwardly smirked at the idea that the party may be looking up, it was boring enough with all the introductions he was forced to make with Cliff. He eventually took a cup of his own and drank it down in a gulp before offering Nel another glass, which she quietly took, the mixed in alcohol already taking effect.

XXXXX

Within hour and thirty minutes, the party went from bearable to outrageously rambunctious! And all thanks to, and to the surprise of everyone there, Nel, who was beyond drunk. It was after the second drink of punch she had that she felt daring enough to go out into the middle of a crowd and start randomly dancing.

As soon as she did, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch Ms. Perfect finally let herself go. They burst out in screams and yells, cheering on the slightly inebriated young woman. People eventually joined in the dancing when the songs started to pick up and the beats really got everyone going. She was in the middle of it all; carelessly swaying around, occasionally dancing with a few others. Albel was right; she livened up the party and was quite the amusing sight to see.

He sat on the sidelines, drinking his umpteenth glass of punch and content with just watching his friends freak dance and grind all over each other. It was then that Nel came out of the crowd and headed over to the table to grab her, was it sixth glass? of punch. She stumbled over to him and leaned on the wall next to him.

He acknowledged her with a snort, boy if only she could see how she looked. There she stood, slightly flushed cheeks, somewhat obscure grin, and hazy emerald eyes, her red dress's strap was falling a bit from the excessive dancing, showing tons more creamy skin…He was so busy staring at her, he didn't realize she had finished her cup and yanked his own drink away.

She downed the rest of the contents and slammed it on the snack table before grabbing Albel's hands and dragging him into the crowd. He was too shocked to do anything and before he knew it, he was in the middle of the huge crowd. He forgot Nel's hand was still holding his until she was bumped into by a nearby dancing couple, and collided with his chest.

Nel looked up shyly, that flush on her face deepening, and Albel couldn't bring himself to look away. 'This is ridiculous…' He thought. He was about to push her away when suddenly her arms hooked around his neck and he was pulled into a kiss. Again he was too shocked to do anything and let her softly invade his mouth with her own.

She began to move in closer, pushing herself against Albel; the heat radiating from her starting to seep into his own skin and become unbearable. Finally he got a hold of himself and managed to pull away from this surprisingly wonderful kiss. He frowned and stormed away from her, trying to maneuver himself to the staircase and head upstairs.

He reached Cliff's bedroom in no time and opened it to see said person and said person's girlfriend on the bed having a serious make out. He blanched at the sight and moved on to the guest bedroom, which he prayed would be empty, and thankfully it was. He left the door ajar and immediately headed for the bed. He sprawled himself out on the sheets and closed his eyes, calming himself down and catching his somewhat hurried breath.

He lay that way for a good five minutes, recalling the kiss and the feelings that rushed through him as it happened. Eventually his alcohol soaked mind, tired from the excessive thinking, brought on heavy eyes and he had no choice but to close them, bringing him into what he felt was a dream.

The 'dream' was hazy, consisting of himself and…Nel, a drunken Nel, to be correct. She was standing at the doorway, eyeing him with a hungry stare before she stalked into the bedroom and crawled on top of him on the bed, planting a long kiss on his lips. It felt so good; there was a certain addicting taste to it and he was slowly falling deeper into the kiss.

His mind, not nearly as sober as the rest of his body was, was slowly registering everything, thinking that perhaps it wasn't a dream and that it was the real deal, but he shook it off, following his body's needs and instincts rather than his mind.

Before he knew it both of their clothes were tossed aside and their skin was pressed against each other. Albel was lost in the pleasure; he couldn't make sense of anything except to continue making Nel moan in that sweet voice of hers. They writhed under the sheets, their voices rising with every contact they made with each other, eventually hitting that highest pinnacle with a scream.

Oh yeah, Albel was gone, blacking out from the exhaustion, the whole time thinking it was just a dream.

XXXXX

Sunlight streamed from a peaked curtain, a form covered underneath a blanket stirred and shifted. Slowly it rose, revealing tousled red hair and the face of a woman with it. Nel rubbed her sleepy eyes and blinked, instantly groaning and recoiling as the light shined in them. A sudden throbbing of pain shot through her head and she held her forehead.

She fully sat up in the bed and looked around as much as her headache would allow, and then, taking in her surroundings, realized with a look of horror on her face. 'Where am I? Why am I not in my room? What happened last night!'

Her head pounded furiously in protest of thinking too much, making her moan again in pain and grasp at her head again. All of a sudden she saw movement to her right and her eyes practically burst out of her head as she saw who it was.

It was Albel though luckily still asleep, but that wasn't what had her flustered, it was the fact that his chest was exposed; oh, and dare she had looked any further, she would have seen that he was as bare as the day he was born. She immediately looked under her own side of the sheets, hoping that the burst of cold air she felt was not crawling along a bare back…

"Shit!" She cursed loudly, instantly regretting it as Albel's eyes burst open. As if she didn't already like the fact that she was naked, now he had to be up and awake, and sober enough to know who she was.

She clung to the bed sheets with her life as Albel sat up, making his side of the sheets fall, and revealing his nicely toned chest (which she admittedly took a moment to admire). She said nothing as he did this, letting him register whatever happened on his own to. Like a picture book, his face went from sleepy to confused, to shock and then horror. He immediately looked over at Nel, eyes widening as he saw her.

'It wasn't a dream last night!'

XXXXX

Hahaha, sorry to leave it at such a crucial part! But guess what! That's one big step out of the way, and one big leap into the core of the story. Things will start looking up (down for the couple, unfortunately) in the story. So stick around and review…a much needed review…and thanks to the support of those who DID review.


	3. Chapter 3

One Time Mistake

This story has received a lot of hits, and even better, added to the favorites list of some readers! I'm so happy! Thank you everyone! I hope that I'll be able to keep you satisfied with this story. Albel/Nel's are rare to find nowadays, so it's good to see one active.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Notes: See Chapter 1

Added notes: In the last chapter we passed a big bump in the story, well now we're on to the drama. As promised, things are going to start looking up, er, well down for the couple, but I promise that they'll be some cute Albel/Nel scenes in the upcoming chapters.

LET'S BEGIN!

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Impossible…it had to have been a dream, er, right? Albel couldn't stop staring at her; he could not bring himself to believe that he'd done something with her. He finally willed himself to look away and quietly asked, "You wouldn't happen to remember what went on last night, right Zelpher?"

Nel gained her voice and responded with a, "No, and I don't suppose you would either." After she spoke she clutched her head, pain evident on her face. Albel spared a quick glance, only to notice that the hand now holding her head was the hand holding up the sheet, and he now had a clear view of her perky breasts.

"Dammit, woman, cover yourself up!" He yelled, the loudness of it making both of them wince in pain of the hangover. With the faint blush of his face, Nel finally caught on to what he was saying and was yet again holding onto the sheet tightly. Both were now profusely blushing and were looking anywhere they could to avoid each others eyes.

Finally getting a hold of himself, Albel assessed the problem. He was naked, with Nel Zelpher, in a bed that certainly wasn't his, in a house that belonged to his best friend, Cliff, he noted. How they managed not to get caught the entire night before was a mystery to him, and he was curious as to why no one at least came looking for her. Certainly people must have seen him, or her, going upstairs. If not that then why hadn't Cliff or Fayt bothered to get him, or even check on him?

'Perhaps they're still asleep?' Albel inquired to himself. His eyes widened at the new opportunity. 'If no one has seen us together yet, Zelpher may be able to escape unnoticed. But the question is, which way to go?'

Albel then proceeded to think of how she could get out of here without anyone noticing. In the end, he remained with two options: either she take the "Walk of Shame" and face going through the front door, possibly with peers still around downstairs to avoid, or, she could escape through the window.

'It'd be unlikely that she'd do the "Walk of Shame," she has a reputation to keep after all.' Albel snorted after that thought, gaining a suspicious look from Nel, but he ignored it and continued contemplating a plan. 'It'd be even _more_ unlikely that she'd do the window, a prissy girl like her would never dream of doing something like that, wouldn't want to chip a nail, I suppose.' Another snort, accompanied by a smirk, finally gave Nel enough reason to question his thoughts.

"What are thinking about over there? Trying to recall last night? Or what else you'd like to do to me?" She practically spat the last one.

Albel narrowed his eyes at her, "No, woman, I was trying to figure out a way in which you could escape unnoticed. I figure you only have two options: front door, or the window. Take your pick and go."

"Both seem unreasonable, is that really all?"

"Why don't you come up with something, Ms. Perfect?!" Albel yelled again, instantly regretting it as the hangover pulsed violently within their heads.

Once Nel was recovered she checked her watch, it read 7:31AM. Taking the time into consideration, and her few options, she knew the front door was easiest, but the most embarrassing and that left her the window. The window would not be difficult for her, she came from a family of spies after all, but it would be awkward if someone outside saw her.

She finally made her decision; she'd take the window over the front door any day, as long as it would keep her from ruining her reputation, as selfish as that was. She voiced her decision to Albel, "I'm taking the window. Could you not look while I get dressed?"

Albel raised a brow; out of the options he gave her, he honestly didn't think she'd take the window. He politely obeyed her order and closed his eyes, covering them with his bangs as she started to remove the blankets from her body and step out from under the covers. Of course, they didn't stay shut for long, he could never resist such a sight; as soon as her back was turned he snuck a peek from behind his long bangs and smirked.

'Quite the nice body, Zelpher. Ten Points…' he thought to himself, but the view was cut short as she quickly dressed. When she finished, she gave him the okay to look again, though, he had been the entire time.

She walked over to the bedroom window and glanced out. The window had a trellis covered with ivy and leading towards the ground. She checked its sturdiness and once content, made way to leave the room. As her legs dangled off of the ledge, she peeked over her shoulder to where Albel still lay and awkwardly said, "Well, I'll be off now…Umm, thanks for helping me, Albel. I'll see you around at school…" With that, Nel quickly slid down the trellis and landed on the ground with ease.

Albel had scampered out of the bed to see her stalk off around the house and out of sight. He sighed once she was gone and hurriedly proceeded to put on his scattered clothes. He didn't want to hang around for too long; then he'd really have no excuse as to why he was still there.

To say the least, his night with Nel Zelpher was interesting. He'd seen a side of 'Ms. Perfect of Peterny High' that no one else had seen, except for her friends of course, but it had significantly changed his view on her. He could clearly see that she wanted to let go of her uptight life and be given the chance to be herself, but she had already fallen so far that it was hard to climb out.

Now that last night had happened, he wasn't sure where she'd go from there, whether that be deeper into the pit or higher up on the cliff. He'd be watching though, his interest was severely peaked.

XXXXX

Nel had managed to get avoid getting seen by anyone as she clambered down the Fitter's trellis. When she hit the ground, she swiftly jumped over the fence and began a fast pace away from the house. The task was fairly easy, thanks to being the daughter of a retired spy, but she had to admit, she was a bit sore from last night.

'Last night…oh Apris, what am I going to do?' Nel thought worriedly. 'I'll never be able to face my friends...or anyone from the party after what I did last night. Aah, what _did_ I do last night?'

Nel was beyond flustered; waking up with a hangover clearly told her she was drunk last night, waking up with a hangover next to a _naked_ Albel had her questioning what she did in her inebriated state.

In all her flustered thoughts, she didn't notice that she'd finally made it back to Claire's house and had already knocked on the door. It wasn't until the door opened and an anxious Claire brought her into a tight hug.

"Oh my gosh, there you are, Nel! I was so worried about you last night! Where did you go?" Claire worriedly asked her friend.

Nel hugged her friend back reassuringly, "I'm okay, Claire, I just…went back home because I forgot to bring something…"

Claire looked at her suspiciously. "You're terrible at telling lies, what really happened, Nel?"

Nel grimaced; Claire could read her too well. She looked around her as if checking for people nearby. "Can we talk inside? It's personal."

After her best friend dragged her inside and upstairs to her room, Nel proceeded to tell Claire all of what she could remember from last night, as well as the events from this morning. Throughout the recollection, Nel's face turned red in embarrassment, but Claire did not rebuke her at all, somewhat calming Nel and reminding her of what a great friend she was.

At the end of her tale, Nel let out a long sigh which ended in a frown. Claire took a moment to register what her girl friend had told her, also trying to recall certain parts of the party last night to back up Nel's details.

"Well, Nel, I'll admit, you were slightly under the table…everyone was shocked that you'd let go like you did…" Claire did not want to immediately broach the subject of Nel's escapade with Albel last night, as she felt that her friend would be touchy about it, but she also knew that the subject would eventually be unavoidable.

To reassure Nel that her school reputation wouldn't go down the drain, she continued, "I think everyone's opinion about you changed some…for the better, anyways. Sorry to say, I didn't get to see much of what you did since Tynave and Farleen kept dragging me away."

Nel did not look comforted enough and so Claire figured it was time to approach her about Albel. "Nel…look, what happened last night with Albel, whatever it was you did, don't take it too personal. Something may have happened, something may have not, but don't make too much of a fuss over it, it's not good to worry about things."

She had thought about last night in depth, the what-ifs in all its possibilities and consequences. When Claire had told her not to worry about it, she knew she was going overboard imagining what had transpired between her and Albel, but one such what-if and consequence continued to stick with her.

"What if…I become pregnant?" Nel suddenly voiced out.

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Okay, so that was kinda short...at least I update? I've got the rest of my summer to put up one or two more chapters before it ends, so hopefully I can crank out my writer's block. I've recently been on a role, and I don't want it to die.

Read and review like always, I greatly appreciate everyone's support!


	4. Chapter 4A&B

One Time Mistake

Welcome back! Thanks are never enough to give to you guys. Please continue supporting me and the other Alnel authors out there! I come back to give you the next installment and it looks like we've got something developing, a plot!

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Notes: See Chapter 1

Added notes: What is this?! A plot is growing? Keep reading for more!

LET'S BEGIN!

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OTM 4A

(Nel's POV)

"What if…I become pregnant?" Nel suddenly voiced out. It was visible that she was worried, and that was a rarity. Nel seldom let others see when she was concerned or worried, she didn't want to burden friends with that, but Claire saw right through her friend this time.

Honestly, Claire hadn't thought as far ahead as Nel had. Thinking on it now, the chances of Nel turning up pregnant was quite slim, but the possibility still stood and could become reality.

"Nel, I think it'd take either more than one try or a very potent man, to impregnate you. I don't think you have to worry about that." Claire did her best to try and cheer up her friend, though it was quite fruitless.

Nel continued to look quite uneasy, but she decided now would be the time to drop the subject. If she continued to let it bother her, everything about her would be ruined, and she wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"Please excuse me, Claire. I'm going to take a shower, afterwards I'm going home. A lot has happened and I need time to myself to think."

Claire nodded, "I understand, take your time."

Nel grabbed what items she needed from the pack she brought last night, and brought it into Claire's bathroom. She began to remove her clothes once the door was shut firmly behind her and the shower was running at her desired temperature. After she took off the last article of clothing, she turned and faced the large mirror over the bathroom counter.

She looked at herself from the front: she had always had a nice figure, thin and muscled, nice set of legs, and just the right sized pair of breasts. She was desirable, which was a good thing. As she continued to look herself over, her eyes landed on her stomach, and the unease of earlier conversation came tumbling back. She turned to the side, all the while looking at her stomach, and imagined what her flat stomach would look like, stuffed with a baby.

"I'd be a teenage slut-for-a-mother..." Nel grimaced at the image and quickly shook it out of her thoughts. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a reality. 'It's not going to happen…Claire's right; it'd take more than one time to knock me up. I shouldn't blow this out of proportion!"

With that thought she stepped into the shower and began bathing. She felt dirty and grimy and this shower was just what she needed. The warm water was relaxing as it rolled down her body. She let out a long sigh of relief before she began to scrub away at her skin, taking out the impurities in her skin as well as the impurities in her mistake.

When she was finished she dried herself off and quickly got dressed before taking one last look in the mirror and saying, "It was just a onetime mistake. It won't happen again….it won't…"

Nel, now renewed as Ms. Perfect, stepped out of the bathroom assured that nothing would happen and this mistake would not come back to haunt her.

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Nel had finally left Claire's house for her own home. As she drove away, no longer was she plagued by thoughts of her crazy night, she now focused her attention on school and when she would go back. Now that was something that worried her. What would everyone think when they saw her Monday?

She shuddered greatly at the thought. She wouldn't be able to face any of the people that saw her and her antics that night. They'd laugh and tease her, and never let it die. She'd no longer be Ms. Perfect, and that was a title she worked very hard for.

And speaking of people that saw her, she couldn't bear to think about what Albel would say when they would meet in the hallways. He saw all she did at the party and more; he saw _all_ of her, and whether or not he could remember what happened exactly, what happened between them still remained.

How clearly she could see his reaction; with his trademark smirk and all, staring at her with a gloating look, like he'd just gotten some…a honk shook her out of her thoughts and that's when she realized she had been sitting at a stoplight for far too long and it had turned green to go.

She reprimanded her thoughts for bringing up what she so wanted to forget. "Okay, this is very problematic. I have to stop thinking about this! That's it…when Monday comes I'm going to avoid Albel at all costs."

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OTM 4B

(Albel's POV)

Albel was never a morning person, and people knew to not mess with him at least two hours after his rising, oh they knew much better than that. Then again, this was no usual morning, so he couldn't be his usual grouchy self.

It wasn't every day that he woke up hung-over and with a woman in bed. The girl he bedded last night was no ordinary girl either; she was the renowned Ms. Perfect of Peterny High. Just the fact that he, Albel the Wicked, as he were known throughout the school, had tainted Ms Perfect, it was enough to shock him fully awake, not even giving him a chance to be grouchy. Oh yeah, he was in quite the predicament now, though none of it was his fault, he firmly told himself.

After trying to figure out what happened last night, sadly to no avail, he decided it would be best to get her out of the Fittir household. He could see her fear and oddly, it worried him. Thus he came up with two options for her escape: take the window, or take the walk of shame. Much to his surprise she took the former of the two options and disappeared through the window as quickly as she could.

He couldn't understand why he was so concerned about Ms. Perfect and why he felt he should remember what happened the night before. He figured that he was intrigued wither, curious as to how she'd managed to stay so perfect for so long. He scoffed at that now, he realized that Ms. Perfect was always looking for an outlet, a way to escape and be herself, not the fake persona she'd made.

Tired of thinking about her, he pulled himself out of bed and began searching for his own clothes. He got dressed and straightened himself up so as to not look disheveled; he didn't want to be questioned by everyone. Before leaving the room he gave it a once over, making sure not to leave anything behind that could give anyone an inkling as to what transpired.

The door closed behind him with a click and he left down the hallway and stairs as quickly and quietly as he could. Before sneaking out of the house he managed to catch glimpses of his friends in scattered areas, all horribly passed out. How he wished he could stick around to see them wake up and poke fun, but he had his own hangover to nurse.

Albel drove home and snuck into his house, trying to avoid all servants, and parents, in the process. He didn't want to deal with any them at all right now, not that they really cared what he did, but right now he needed some serious alone time. He really wanted to know what happened the night before, though it was mainly apparent. A shower might help clear his cloudy memory, and possibly help him remember last night.

He entered his room and grabbed a random set of clean clothes before shutting himself in his bathroom. He removed his clothes and stepped under the showerhead, turning it on and putting the water on freezing. The cold drops jolted him as soon as it hit his back, but he quickly acclimated himself to the cold.

He closed his eyes as he began scrubbing himself. _What happened?_ was what he asked himself. Albel could remember standing on the sidelines of the party, watching his friends dry-hump each other all over. In the midst of all of those dancing he remembered how Nel danced, and how it had him strangely interested.

Blearily he remembered getting ready to drink another glass of the spiked punch but the cup was taken away and gulped down by the woman of his interest. The memory skipped ahead some and suddenly he was in the middle of the dance floor, being kissed by a very drunk Nel. He could see that he pushed her away and then escaped, heading upstairs and into an empty guest bedroom.

It was then that his memories really began to blur. The door was ajar and Nel came in, that much was clear. She approached him and straddled him while he was lying down, then planted a long kiss that had his inebriated mind reeling for more…

Albel's eyes widened greatly as the fuzzy curtain that shrouded his memories suddenly opened up in a clear flood of what occurred. The passion they shared was immense and he could see that there was more behind those tender actions than he could comprehend. He and Nel seemed to fit perfectly with each other, just like a puzzle, and for one second, he wished she could always be with him so she can fit perfectly in his arms.

He quickly shook his head; him loving her? Such thoughts were meaningless as he barely knew her, let alone _loved_ her, and that what they shared was an accidental one night stand, therefore leaving any chance of being together at zero.

"Tch, come Monday, everything will be back to normal. She'll be Ms. Perfect again, and I'll go back to being my bully self, even to her."

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I've decided to delay updating this fanfiction for a while so that I can type everything up and update once a week. In that way it'll keep this fanfiction on top of the charts, and fellow Alnel fans will see and know not to give up hope.

In that sense too, I don't have to worry about deadlines (which I never actually make), or pressure of reviewers to update.

I hope everyone understands this, and knows that it'll be a while before I crank out those next few chapters.

Thanks for reading, and please review! It's always greatly appreciated!

P.S. This story will also be available on my LiveJournal, which the link for it is on my profile, so please check it out!


	5. Chapter 5

OTM 5

Monday arrived and Nel walked down the hallways as if nothing ever happened. Of course she was approached by many party-goers on her antics during the party, and many commented on how they'd never have expected she'd do half the things she did, but she took them as compliments and instead reassured all of them that it wouldn't happen again.

Even Cliff Fittir and his gang approached her, thankfully without Albel. "I hope you enjoyed the party, Nel. You really needed it." He said to her with his arm slung around Mirage.

Mirage smiled, "Yes, you certainly riled everyone up." Nods followed as everyone agreed.

"You looked like you had a bit to drink that night, were you okay afterwards? If I'm not mistaken Claire was looking for you. Where did you go?" Maria looked at Nel concerned.

She fidgeted under the group's gaze. "Umm, I went upstairs to take a quick nap and then I left immediately afterward."

"Hey, didn't Albel go upstairs too?" Sophia innocently piped up.

"Eh, who knows where that man goes skulking off to. He probably went to Cliff's room to get away or something." Fayt suggested.

"Uh, actually Mirage and I were in there and had a little tumble in b-" Cliff's recall was cut short with a big shove to the ribs. "What the hell, Mirage?!"

Mirage sent him a curt glare which ended the conversation right there. Noticing how uncomfortable they had made Nel, Mirage decided it was time to take their leave. "We better be on our way, Nel. Classes are going to start soon. See you around."

Nel lightly waved good bye to who she supposed were her new friends. "Yeah, see you…"

The small visit with Albel's friends was nice, and she hoped she could foster a friendship with them, but if that came with the price of one gloomy Albel, she wasn't quite sure if she'd immediately take the chance.

Admittedly she dreaded going back to school. It was not for the comments from others, but for Albel. She was beyond embarrassed because of that night and seeing him would bring feelings she was unable to decipher just yet. She feared seeing him again because she feared what he might say to her and thought about her. She knew better than to care what he said or thought of her, especially since they formally met yesterday, yet, in the deepest part of her heart, something stirred within.

When she arrived at her locker, before opening her own, she stared at the one next to hers. _Albel's locker_…Sooner or later she was bound to run into him, there was no avoiding it. She just hoped that the awkwardness between them wouldn't be noticeable to her peers.

Nel grabbed her books and distractedly walked to her first class of the day, Gaitt Literature, one period, she realized, she unfortunately had with Albel. But she steeled herself and calmly placed herself in her desk with five minutes to spare before the warning bell rang.

If she remembered correctly, Albel sat two rows behind her and closest to the window, a plus for her if she didn't want to see his face. To her misfortune, said man had arrived and was making his way to her desk. When he reached her, his eyes pierced her with a look that had her fidgeting in her seat for a moment.

"Zelpher," Ah, the moment she had been anticipating, the harsh comments concerning that night and the exposure of being less than perfect to everyone. A tense silence passed between them and Albel could easily tell that Nel was anticipating this talk, but he surprised her with his next words. "As far as we both now, it never happened. Don't fret about it."

The bell finally rang and he left her with that, the simple message resounding in her head. 'Yes, if it never happened, why fret about it?' And so for the rest of her day, Nel took up his advice and did her absolute best to clear her mind of that morning.

But to ensure a complete removal of that memory from her mind, she avoided the young man like a plague. Progress was slow at first because the less she saw of him, the more he came to mind, and the more he came to mind, the more she _wanted_ to see him. It was with this predicament that she now tried to dispel any thoughts about what could be the possible meaning of the weird tugging in her heart every time.

She buried herself in work and before she knew it the following weeks after the party and the horrid discovery of what had conspired between her and Albel were passing by quickly, to which Nel was grateful for. The more work she got, the faster the days went, and most importantly, the less she saw of Albel, the dreaded object of her thoughts and worries.

It was a month later before work began to slow for Nel. She was so determined to forget about him, she failed to realize how over exerted her body was. The queasy stomach she had been having she had immediately summed up to bad cafeteria food. The tiredness that she constantly felt she attributed to late work nights. Whatever ailments afflicted her, she immediately passed it off, disregarding the main cause of illnesses.

When she had finally reached a week with very little work to do, Nel finally began feeling the gravity behind her sickness. She began to go over her symptoms in her head, trying to figure out what it could be. Tired...queasy…moodier than usual…It was then that the thought of her period came up reminding her that it hadn't arrived yet. She whipped out the daily planner and counted the days since her last ovulation. It had been a month and two weeks ago...

Just to be sure she recounted the days again, and to her dismay it was still more than a month. She even marked what day it was supposed to arrive, which was two weeks ago. 'It's just late…I've been kind of stressed lately, so that could be the reason. It's nothing serious.' She tucked away her daily planner with a sigh. She reassured herself that if it came within the next week, she'd be just fine. 'What would happen if it doesn't come? What then?'

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That next week came and went, leaving Nel on pins and needles until the weekend arrived. No bloodstains had soaked her undergarments the entire week. Throughout the week she refused to dwell on what would be the cause of her late menstrual cycle, but as she told herself seven days before, if a week passed without any sign of blood, she would have to face the issue.

She thought over her symptoms again and figured it best to do some research before jumping to extreme conclusions. She took out her laptop and searched for pregnancy symptoms, the first link that came up being the one she clicked on. The site had a long list of symptoms that included explanations and possible other reasons for the symptoms.

The most notable symptom she had besides the missed period was the queasiness she'd feel when she first awoke in the mornings. 'Morning sickness, and now I know for sure that it's not the cafeteria food…' Along with the most traditional sign, she checked herself over for the other symptoms, her sudden cramps, her tiredness, her swollen breasts (which she noted, felt a lot tighter in her bra than before).

After reading through the list she sat back in her desk seat with a sigh. "If all of these symptoms are pointing to pregnancy, well, the best way to know is through a test." But how the hell was she going to get one? Certainly she'd get weird looks if anyone recognized her and saw her with a box.

'Should I go straight to the doctor's or just buy a home kit? Looking over the pros and cons, in going to the doctor's, I'll know right away whether or not I am pregnant, but the downside is that I'd have to provide a lot of information and I don't have time for that. In buying a kit from the store, I'll have one fast, though not entirely reliable, but the downside would be that someone could spot me with one…' She sat up in her chair again, resting her arms on the table and bending over her desk. 'Oh what the hell am I worried about? This is life changing, and I'm worried about keeping up a stupid reputation. I'll go to the store and buy one!'

She glanced at the clock, the time stating that it was nearing half past four, and she figured that was more than enough time for her to run to the store (possibly one on the other side of town), and come back before her parents do. Not wasting any more time, she grabbed her wallet and keys, and left the house.

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It was nearly 45 minutes later before Nel finally reached home again. Her trip to the store was long and embarrassing. She had no idea which test to pick for starters, and people who happened to walk down the aisle weren't helping; they stared at her oddly, but she couldn't blame them. In the end settled for a medium priced one, because she didn't want any wrong answers. The next was paying for it. She figured she'd grab a few other items to cover up the fact that she was buying such a thing, although it was futile since all of the people standing in line were the ones who saw her picking out a box.

Despite her mini adventure, she made it back home and was in the safety of her room. She rushed to her private bathroom and locked the door behind her. She wouldn't want the maids suddenly popping in, especially at such a crucial time.

She unpacked the test and read over the directions before following them closely. Once done, the test sat innocently on her sink counter. As the instructions had said, she had to wait two minutes before the results would show, but those two meager minutes seemed to be the longest in all of Elicoor II history.

She sat on her toilet staring worriedly at the thin stick. What would she do if it confirmed her condition? Her whole life would be different from here on out if she was pregnant, a future with an unplanned baby. And thinking of the future, she'd be a mother, a single mother. Albel popped up in her head and knew she would have to tell him about her condition, even if he didn't want it. She instantly knew that he wouldn't accept the child, and that somehow pained her knowing that he wouldn't accept his own flesh and blood and that her child would be fatherless, but at least he'd know about it.

With these thoughts racing through her mind the two minutes finally passed and she anxiously picked up the stick. Looking at it she remembered the conversation she had with Claire a little over a month ago. 'Sorry Claire, it seems like that small possibility to become pregnant has become a reality. I'm pregnant.'

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There's the fifth chapter! It's picking up some steam now! The real action, and more Alnel moments, will happen from here on out. Please be on the look out!

I have a lot of future chapters written out, well, at least segments of future chapters written out, so as long as my muse keeps me going, I'll be writing faster, and you won't be left in the dust for long.

Again, check out my livejournal for my other fanfictions not available on this site. And yes, I know I haven't posted the Alternate Lemon version of Winter Kisses yet, but I'll try to finish that up. It'll be on my livejournal when it's finished.

Thank you for reading! Please comment!


	6. Chapter 6

OTM 6

At the request of a VERY desperate review, I updated.

Life has finally eased up some, so I WILL be writing again.

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Pregnant.

The word just sat in Nel's mind like a dead weight, and as much as wished the little stick was a joke, the two other tests she did only smacked the truth in her face some more.

The reality of it was that she was knocked up because of an accidental drunken night. It was her first time, and with the school bully, but just once is enough to cause this…predicament.

What the hell would she do now?

Sooner or later she was going to start to show. If her symptoms kept up like this, she'd be found out soon enough.

'It doesn't matter, until I'm absolutely unable to hide it, I'll make sure it's kept a secret.'

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_The next week…_

Nel squirmed in her seat as Professor Laselle laid narrowed eyes on her shyly raised hand. "Professor?" She softly asked.

A slightly peeved Laselle answered, "Yes, Ms. Zelpher? What is it this time?" All eyes seemed to pin themselves on her.

"I-I need to go to the bathroom again, sir."

He sighed, "May I remind you that this is the third time you asked, and within the class period I might add, Ms. Zelpher. I do hope it's your last; you're interrupting the class. Take the hall pass and hurry, I don't want any more of this when you come back."

Nel nodded her head and rushed out of her seat towards the door, grabbing the hall pass on her way out. As soon as she was outside of the classroom, her stomach lurched and bile threatened to spill from her throat. She quickly entered the bathroom nearby and shoved herself into the first stall, hunching over the toilet bowl to chuck up whatever breakfast remained after the first two visits.

After what seemed like an hour of non-stop retching, she finally picked herself off the floor and away from the toilet, flushing it on her way out. She walked to the sink counter and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked extremely pale and tired, and definitely not the Perfect Ms. Zelpher everyone had come to know. If anyone questioned her health, what could she tell them? The stomach flu would only last so long and with being two months into her pregnancy, the external signs of her pregnancy would show soon enough; by that time she'd have no way of hiding it. What would Albel say if he approached her on her health?!

She frowned upon thinking about him, worry etched on her face as well. Why was she so worried about what he would say? His opinion shouldn't matter at all. They had nothing of importance connecting them together, therefore leaving no reason to care what he thinks.

'It's his entire fault this happened. I wouldn't be having this little problem if not for him.' Her frown deepened. 'Okay, that's not entirely true. I was just as drunk as him, and it takes two to tango…He has the right to know and give an opinion about this.'

Nel knew quite well what her problem was, it was what she feared the most out of their drunken night, and she knew it would be no small matter. Albel would have to be informed, therefore making his opinion very important. Their futures were now tied to the little life they have created.

She rinsed her mouth and washed her face before fixing herself up to look presentable. She couldn't have anyone finding out about this just yet. Not her parents, not her friends, not her classmates…not even Albel, at least not yet. 'Maybe another two weeks, and then I'll tell him' she told herself.

Nel took her time walking back to class. She could afford missing out on another long lecture about government and politics from Laselle. She probably wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway, what with mulling over her condition and what would happen to her so called "perfect" life.

Just before entering the classroom, Nel leaned herself against a nearby wall to gather her wits in order face the entire class again.

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_Two weeks later…_

The symptoms just wouldn't ease up. To get by in class without barfing she'd drink plenty of crackers and club soda at breaks. Still, the subtle tightening of her skirts and jeans was enough to tell her time was running out for keeping her secret. Just as she told herself two weeks before, she would tell Albel what was happening. She didn't have much choice left in the matter, or so she believed.

The bell rang to signify lunch and Nel quickly gathered her things in a rush to catch Albel before he left. She had to tell him now; this was something she absolutely could not avoid forever.

She caught up with him as fast as she could and just barely stopped him from going out the door. Albel merely glared at her and tried to step around but Nel was adamant and cut him off. Now fed up, he harshly yelled, "What is it, Zelpher?!"

Nel looked directly at him. "Albel, we really need to talk…" Her voice was pleading.

"You seemed content at avoiding me for two months so what would you have to say to me? And besides, why can't you tell me here?"

She looked around cautiously. "Because, it has to do with _that_ night…" Her anxiousness was getting the better of her and her world began to spin with the fear. Bile was rising up in her throat due to the dizzy spells and she tried her best to keep it down. 'Oh Apris…no not here. People can't find out here…'

Albel saw her anxiety and his composure softened considerably. With a sigh he took a hold of one of her hands and began pulling her through the halls towards the emergency staircase. As soon as Albel's hand held her own, the bile immediately rescinded, which surprised her greatly. As expected, the rooftop was empty, giving them the privacy needed to seriously talk.

"Okay, what'd you want to talk about?"

Nel refused to look him in the eye. Now out in the sun, Albel took a good look at her, noticing how pale she was and how worried she was. 'What in Elicoor II could this be that has you so down?'

"Albel…" He snapped to attention, even her voice was laced with worry. "Albel...I'm pregnant." The silence following the statement was thick with developing tension.

He had to hearing things, "You're what?" Did she say she was _pregnant_? He stepped away from her and quickly interjected before she could repeat herself, "No…no, this isn't actually happening. This isn't possible!"

Her face turned serious. "Oh it happened alright! It happened because it _is_ possible! As much as we may deny it, we did it that night two months ago, and without protection I might add." She was practically screaming now, all of her pent up emotions about that night pouring out in her rant.

"It takes two to make a baby and–"

"Are you sure it's mine?" She looked at him oddly. "Are you positive that this _thing_ in you is mine, Zelpher?"

Nel began to gawk at him, completely shocked at the insinuation that she was a slut. "What the hell do you take me for? Don't you know who I am?! I'm Ms. Perfect of Peterny High! The Virgin Ice Queen, for Apris' sake! I've never had a boyfriend in my life, let alone had sex with one! I can't believe you'd think I'm a slut! You're such a fucking bastard!"

Her anger was most apparent but in seconds her face changed, waning into one of anxiousness and depression. "I know for a fact that you were my first…" Hands dropped to her stomach. "This is _your_ baby, Albel, no one else's! And you should be happy! Your whole life isn't on the line here; you're not the one knocked up from an accidental drunken one-night stand! You're not the one whose got a reputation to uphold, who with one little incident like this gets considered the biggest slut in school.

Tch, yeah, you're a lucky bastard alright, because you could make the choice to back out of this whole thing. But I can't back out, Albel, so now my life is gone and ruined! I just know that my parents are going to disown me and kick me out! I'll have no way of getting a decent job, probably won't even get married now! Single mother for the rest of my life because I'm a slut! And all because of you and one fucking screw up!"

She had completely snapped, and all throughout the rant Albel could do nothing except stare at her. A moment after her tirade passed in silence before words escaped his mouth. "Then get an abortion."

She turned wild eyes upon him. "An abortion?"

"Yeah, get rid of the thing, get rid of the problem. Everything would go back to normal if you get an abortion." He had a point, getting rid of the baby would easily rectify the situation, but for some reason, deep down in Nel's heart, it told her not to abort it.

Before she could say anything else, Albel was already at the staircase, his back facing her. "Think about it, Zelpher, you'll have your life back again. See me when you've made your decision, I'm at the football field every day until five."

He disappeared down the stairs leaving an emotional distraught woman. Nel unconsciously held her stomach again, the warmth from it tugging at her heart. She quickly shook it off, steeling her thoughts. 'No, I want my life back. I'll see into this abortion stuff and make my final decision then.'

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Review please.


	7. Chapter 7

OTM 7

Let's get to it.

XXXXX

After her and Albel's exchange on the roof, where the option of an abortion was offered, Nel had been anxious to research the surgery. As soon as her 7th period Study Hall came, she left the school campus and headed for the library. She felt some extra knowledge about what abortion can do to, not only the fetus, but the mother, would be important in making her final decision. It was only logical to be informed; she didn't want to hastily jump into getting the operation.

She directed herself to the section on health and anatomy and from there looked through the books on pregnancy and abortion. After taking down a few books that looked pertinent to the matter, she began reading them and noted anything stated on abortion.

She was only on book three out of the seven she took down and already she was appalled at the information she read. The pictures and illustrations provided did not help her imagination as well. She knew the basics of abortion, like depending on month, what method they would use to kill the fetus, and that obviously the fetus would be terminated, but what she had read disgusted her.

Graphic descriptions of the procedure, of how they killed the baby made Nel cry. And if Nel ever decided to go through with it, even if she'd get back her "Perfect" life, there would potentially be long term complications for her such as having trouble carrying a baby long term when she finally did want one. It really wasn't worth it.

Nel packed up her stuff and left the library, her decision already made. She was going to keep this child whether or not Albel was going to stick around. She could never kill the life inside her, it was murder.

XXXXX

The football practice had just finished and the team was busy clearing out for whatever evening activities they had planned. Nel was given odd looks for her presence but she ignored them and continued to look for Albel.

Suddenly she got a tap on the shoulder, immediately gaining her attention. "Albel?" she asked quickly.

"Ah, no, it's Cliff." The blonde muscle-man smiled at her.

Nel smiled back, she forgot that Cliff was on the football team too. She may have avoided Albel for two months or so but she didn't ignore his friends which easily became her own as well. "Hey! Haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"Oh I'm fine. I'm gonna meet up with Mirage later, but otherwise everything's same old, same old." Nel took notice of how his eyes brightened at the mention of his girlfriend. She sort of wished she was in a similar relationship. 'Maybe even with Albel' She suddenly thought.

"Are you looking for Albel?" The question took her off guard and she flushed slightly but she nodded a yes. "Oh-ho~ Did you two hook up under our noses or something?" Cliff smirked and nudged her teasingly.

"Umm, yes and no…" She laughed nervously.

"Well, the Wicked One is in the training room. Just keep walking through the locker room and passed the showers and you'll be there. Good luck!" He winked at her and left with a wave.

"Good luck indeed. I really need it." Nel muttered. She followed Cliff's directions and headed for the training room, on the way thinking about how Albel would respond to her decision. Would he demand an abortion of her anyway, just to keep up his own reputation? Or would he completely indifferent and not care as to what she did? He was such a puzzle.

After researching abortion, the answer was pretty obvious and it took her little time to come up with, but now that she had chosen, she wasn't going to back down from it. She knew Albel wasn't going to like it, she understood that right away, but either way she was hoping he would at least accept her reasons for keeping their child.

Upon reaching the training room, she gathered up whatever courage she had, took a deep breath, and stepped in. The room was empty, thankfully, and she searched around until she found him doing some lifts at the back. Without realizing it she began to observe him, watching with interest at the way his muscles moved on his rather scrawny looking person, the way the sweat beaded on his forehead and slid down his neck, the way he looked nonchalant about it, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. She unconsciously licked her lips at the view.

Albel had sensed when she came in but ignored her a bit. It wasn't until her staring annoyed him that he stopped his lifts, dropping the 50lbs to the ground. "Zelpher…" He turned to look at her slowly.

Nel shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Uhh, Albel…Hi."

"You're here because you have your answer, correct? You made the decision faster than I thought you would."

"Yeah well you probably won't like the answer."

Catching on to this his eyes narrowed, "So you're keeping it." She merely nodded. "I thought you wanted to keep your perfect life. Wouldn't a child ruin all of that?" The mocking tone in Albel's words clenched at her heart, but she steeled herself and responded with as much confidence as she could currently give.

"As much as I would love to keep my perfect life, destroying another's life is something I wouldn't want. If I had an abortion I would be killing this child. It's a part of me and if I killed it, it's like killing some of me too. I can't do that."

Albel rolled his eyes, "It's your life, Zelpher, I'm not getting involved. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not the father."

Nel inwardly broke at that, upset that he was so disbelieving of his, their, mistake. Since she was keeping the baby, knowing that the father was so close by but had no interest to help, really hurt. 'I can't believe I was feeling something for a jerk like him.' She internally berated herself for having such high hopes.

Albel saw the run of emotions cross her face. The anger, the disappointment, the sadness…He felt somewhat guilty for hurting her this way but she brought it upon herself. He couldn't say he didn't try to help her; he gave her the option to have her life back, right? Since she didn't take it, what more could he give her? It wouldn't be responsibility; he didn't want this in his life right now, it was way too soon to become a parent. And speaking of parent, the mother-to-be was getting ready to leave.

With her back facing him, oddly enough the same position he used before leaving from the roof, she gave her last words. "You know, I thought you'd be stronger than that, more willing to take on a challenge. Hmph, you're like any other man in a situation like this, running like a dog with his tail between his legs, a complete coward!" She turned her head enough to show him the anger in her face. "At least I'm facing this with my all, unlike you who's not even willing to believe what he's done."

Nel stormed away on that note leaving Albel to scowl at the fact that she got the last word. And what a daring last word it was! She dared accuse him of being a coward and just because he wasn't taking on responsibility. Insulted wasn't even close to express what he felt.

And another thing he had a problem with was how she seemed to put nearly all the blame on him. Didn't she say earlier that "It takes two to make a baby"? Then it wasn't just him now was it?

Albel paused after that thought. Did he just inadvertently admit that he knocked Nel up and therefore _should_ take responsibility? He frowned considerably at that. That woman always enticed some sort of weird reaction from him, whether mentally or physically, whenever she was around. Odd thoughts with her in it and weird heart palpitations; he didn't like it one bit.

'Well whatever that wench does, it doesn't matter to me. She's no concern of mine.'

XXXXX

That night Nel laid in her bed emotionally exhausted, the thought of being pregnant bringing in a multitude of moods, most ranging from scared to worried. She couldn't stop thinking about it since she had made the decision to keep what was growing within her. She was 18, a legal adult by Gaitan's standards; able to be independent from parents, work, get married, have children...obviously a baby was going to be a huge responsibility, but she was at the age that it was now considered a little too early but okay to have.

If Nel was concerned about people thinking badly about her because of having a drunken one-nighter, it was worse now because she was pregnant and _keeping it_. As soon as it's out that the Virgin Ice Queen is having a baby, everyone would be in an uproar. And what would her friends think? She could only hope that they would stand up for her when everyone found out.

Her concern for the opinions of others had always been a bit of a bother, a complex she's had since she was young. It was the very cause of her façade, her constant upkeep of "Ms. Perfect". Her predicament was the designated end to it, but as Albel offered, there was a way to keep that mask, that mode of life she's followed for years, and all through an abortion.

She cringed at that idea. Why would she ever end another's life for the selfish sake of her own? She had made her decision, she was going to have to stick with it, and of course it would be life changing, she just didn't want to be facing it alone.

'But Albel's out of the question. He abandoned me on the spot.' She patted her belly lightly. "I'm sorry if you don't have a father, baby, but I'll try to love as much as two parents can give.'

Nel fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of her future with a little baby in tow.

XXXXX

It was another annoying day filled with symptoms she was slowly unable to disguise, and now that she was keeping her baby, she wouldn't hide it…not for long anyways.

Every time she would excuse herself from the classroom, she knew Clair would be watching. And every time she came back, concern would be etched on her best friend's face. Sooner or later Clair would ask her what's wrong; Nel figured she'd beat her to the punch and confront her.

First break came and Nel quickly grabbed Clair, dragging her into an empty classroom nearby. Clair was shocked to say the least, and her questioning glance asked a million questions. Nel looked around to absolutely make sure no one was around before spilling the truth.

"Clair, this is going to be a huge shocker to you, but…I'm pregnant and I'm keeping it."

Claire let the confession sink in. Her eyes stared at the red-head with sympathy. She embraced her best friend in a hug as comfort, and as simple as the gesture (and it could be because of those damn hormones), Nel started to cry, hugging back out of gratitude.

"It's okay, Nel, everything's going to be okay." Clair soothed. She remembered their conversation from two months before, but sincerely hoped it wouldn't have happened. Now that it has, Clair knew who the father was but felt the need to reconfirm it.

"It's Albel's?" Nel sniffed and nodded slowly into Clair's shoulder.

"Did you tell him?" Another nod from her friend. "And what did he say? I've noticed there's been a tension between you guys lately."

Nel pulled away to wipe her tears. "Albel doesn't want to be involved. De doesn't even want to believe it's his." As much as she tried to wipe them away, more tears began to spring from her eyes. "It's like he called me a slut! Clair, you don't think that of me, right?"

"Of course not! You're 'Ms. Perfect', why would she ever be a slut? Just because Albel doesn't want it nor believes it is his, does not make you anything below the Nel Zelpher everyone knows. And who wouldn't respect you after taking on such a huge responsibility?" Clair grabbed Nel's hands in a light, reaffirming grip.

"You're going to face a lot in your future, but know that you'll _always_ have a friend in me. I'll help you out with anything you need, okay? Babysitting, changing diapers, you name it, I'll be there."

Nel smiled graciously, the last of her tears being made from happiness, not the sadness she felt earlier. "Thank you so much, Clair."

Clair and Nel shared one last hug before the warning bell for their next class rang. From there they separated and with Nel being in a considerably lighter mood, a small weight lifted from her shoulders at the fact someone else knew what burdened her.

XXXXX

End of Chapter 7.

Review please. :D


	8. Chapter 8

OTM 8

I didn't forget about you, my lovelies! Here's the next VERY ACTION PACKED CHAPTER!!!

XXXXX

It had been a week since she had told Clair. Nel had been relaxing on her bed, her head tucked into a pregnancy book she borrowed from the library. She figured it would be best to read up on what would occur over the next few months. She was about to start on a new chapter when her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Nel asked after putting down the book.

"Hey, Nel!"

"Clair! What's up?"

"Well I just saw a baby ad and thought about you, and then it got me wondering just how many people you may have told."

"It's only been you and Albel, and I don't intend on telling anyone else until I start to show."

"Wait so you haven't even told your parents yet?"

Nel bit her lip at that. No, she hadn't told them, and it was mostly out of fear that she still hasn't. The silence she left over the phone easily translated as a 'no' to Clair.

As usual, Clair could read her like a book. "Nel, you may be afraid to do it but I think you should tell them. They need to know why their daughter is suddenly acting moodier or gaining weight. They have to know that you're pregnant and keeping it."

"But..."

"No buts, Nel. They need to be told. I just pray to Apris that they'll be accepting of your decision."

Nel smiled and brushed a hand across her stomach. She found herself lucky to have such an encouraging and caring friend. She probably wouldn't have gone far if Clair wasn't there to lift her spirits.

"Okay, I'll do that. Thanks for putting the foot down on some decisions. This really isn't a time to waver."

The two best friends talked for a little while longer until Clair said she had to leave. They exchanged their goodbyes and Nel put away her phone. She was hoping they would talk a little longer so she could avoid talking with her parents, but it was inevitable.

She hid the book she was reading under her pillow and shrugged on a large sweater. She was barely noticeable, just enough that it would be considered some slight weight gain, but either way, she didn't want to give it away more than necessary. "I guess it's now or never, huh?"

Nel walked downstairs and into her family room where she expected her parents to be. They were both there, seated on the couch, comfortably watching whatever was currently on. She hesitated before walking over to them, stopping in front of the TV to gain their attention.

"Mom, Dad, we…erm, we need to talk."

Neville Zelpher and his wife curiously and worriedly looked at her. They could not deny noticing how their daughter looked: pale, sickly, and troubled. Neville easily deduced that the matter was serious otherwise Nel would never nervously approach them.

Trying to reassure his daughter, he gave her a warm smile and gestured to a seat nearby. Nel, not wanting to be disrespectful, well, any more disrespectful than she's been the past two months or so, took up her dad's offer and slowly sat herself down.

"What could be bothering my baby girl?" Nel's mom voiced.

Nel gulped; yeah, a baby alright. Unconsciously her hand found its way to her stomach, a gesture Neville eyed curiously. "Mom, dad, as you know, I'm eighteen now, and am more than capable of making my own decisions."

"Well we did try to raise you to be a respectful young woman."

"Yes, well, you should also know that I'd never try to go against you…"

"What are you saying, Nel? Have you don't something bad?" She hated having a retired spy for a father. She could never get away with anything for long, or so she'd been told when she was a kid. She tensed herself knowing what conversation was coming next: the discussion of always obtaining good grades to be successful in life.

"Please don't tell us you've failed a test. We've told you before that good grades will take you far. Now is definitely not the time to slack off. You're going to be graduating in a few months."

Nel quickly interjected, "This has nothing to do with my grades."

Neville frowned. "Well what could it possibly be?"

Nel bit her lip in anxiety; this moment was just as bad as when she told Albel. Her stomach churned in response to her nervousness but she forced it down. 'Here goes…' She thought.

"Two months or so ago I went to a party. They had punch and I had some, but I guess the put alcohol in it too…either way, I woke up the next morning with a classmate in bed and no recollection of the night before. I prayed and prayed to Apris that my greatest fear from this mistake wouldn't come true, but unfortunately it did." She took in a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Her mom gasped aloud and nearly fainted. Her father was livid, his face nearly as red as his hair. "You are what?!" He raised his hand as if to slap her but he restrained himself.

"How could you have been so stupid? You know better than that! Going to a party? Wasted time! And see, this is what happens!" Neville looked exasperated while Nel looked like she was on the brink of crying.

"I'm not going to let you go through this. We're going to get rid of it as soon as possible. You're getting an abortion!"

It was Nel's turn to be shocked. "But I'm keeping it!"

The anger filled Neville's face again, "You will keep nothing! It's being aborted no later than this Sunday!" He looked away from Nel to comfort his wife, his anger still far from dissipating. "We've done so much to bring you this far and how do you repay us? With a fucking huge mistake that's now going to ruin your life. We wanted to give you the best life possible; a baby will ruin all of that now."

Nel could no longer hold in her tears. She feared this would happen, that her parent would be disappointed in her, but she dearly hoped they wouldn't push an abortion on her. 'At least Albel didn't push for one.'

She ran back to her room and locked the door shut. Nel was torn inside; her parents were forcing her to abort her baby! She didn't want that to happen, even if it was her mistake. She knew what was to come and rather than decide to run away from the situation, she chose to take full responsibility. Her parents should have supported her on this one. They know that she's a hard and responsible worker, but one little mistake suddenly shakes their entire opinion about their daughter? Indeed she was disappointed and torn.

Her parents scheduled the operation to take place on Sunday, barely four days away. She wouldn't be ready to murder her child in four days…she'd never be ready.

XXXXX

Noon on Thursday came about rather slowly, but as soon as the lunch bell rang, Nel quickly cornered Albel and told him to come with her. Once again they stood together on the roof; the same place Nel had revealed the life-changing situation. Albel had no idea why he was brought up here. If she was here to try and convince him of responsibility, he had already refused.

Her back was facing him, but he could see how troubled she as. When she finally turned around he stiffened slightly. She was crying, and for what reason he did not know, because she had yet to reveal it.

He was at a loss as to what to do. It was odd how she managed to flesh away at his heart, filling him with odd emotions and causing him to think weird things. At the current moment he wanted to hold and comfort her, but he reprimanded himself and commanded his body not to move.

Through her sobs she managed to speak out, "Albel, my parents are forcing me to get an abortion!" After the revelation her hands dropped to her abdomen in a light hold. "I don't want to get rid of it. It's a part of me…"

Albel stared; he really had nothing else he could do except comfort her, which he refused to do. Gathering himself again, he turned away from her tearful form and closed his eyes to avoid seeing the pitiful sight. Using a gruff voice, he said, "Why should this matter to me? I told you that I don't believe it's mine and that I won't take responsibility. So whatever you do to _your_ baby is your problem. Besides, you'll have your perfect life back and you won't be stressing out. If anything your parents are helping you out."

Nel stopped her crying to face Albel with a look of disbelief. She walked in front of him, and along with a powerful slap she angrily yelled, "Fuck you, Albel. This is damn well a part of your problem too! You may deny it now, but it will always, _always_, be a part of you. I'm telling you about this because you have the right to know, even if you don't care. I hope you realize the seriousness of this situation, Albel, and I hope you seriously think about it."

"And just so you know, I'm _giving up_ my perfect life for this baby." She gave him a dirty look and made for the door.

Rather than Albel leaving the scene first, like the last time they met, it was Nel leaving Albel alone on the roof. Oddly it left him feeling guilty. A strange clenching took hold of his heart and he frowned. She and her news should not have affected him as much as it did, but his heart was already aching. He tried to ease the aching and gain a clear head again, trying not to let Nel's news distract him before letting out a large breath and leaving the roof.

XXXXX

Nel speedily drove home after school. She wanted nothing more than to lock herself in her room and cry. She couldn't really understand why she was so emotional over Albel's response. It was rather expected from him, so why did it hurt so bad inside? Was it because even though Albel refused to be a father, even suggested an abortion, he didn't push it upon her?

As soon as she arrived home, she did as planned: locked the door, shut the blinds, grabbed a pillow, and began to sob as soon as she hit the bed. She didn't want this to happen at all. At first she didn't want the pregnancy, but she had come to love her baby and refused to have an abortion. Now she was being forced by her parents to get one and she didn't want that.

Nothing was going the way she liked. Was this how she was repaid for all her hard work as role-model, hard-working student and friend?

It was all so unfair to her and her child.

XXXXX

The appointed Sunday arrived and Nel awoke with a feeling of extreme dread. The operation was to take place at 3:00pm and it was currently 12. Barely three hours from now she would be murdering a part of her and a part of Albel too.

A knock came at the door and after receiving the okay from Nel, was opened to reveal Neville Zelpher. He had a stern look on his face as he approached her bed. She stared back at him with indifference.

"Nel, today's the day. Your mom and I want you to do this for your own good. We don't want you to suffer a hard life with a baby in tow."

"And killing it won't cause me just as must suffering? I'll be a murderer!" Nel retorted.

"Now Nel, we're trying to protect you and keep your future safe. You just don't understand what it means to be a teenage mother."

Nel glared at that, "No, you don't understand! I'm not some sixteen-year-old. I'm eighteen! A legal adult! I should get to decide what I do with my future form here on out! If you're that serious about protecting me, then you should want to protect your future grandchild as well! My future will now include this child whether or not you like it. I refuse to kill this baby!"

Neville was becoming angry. "It's too late to turn back now, Nel! It';; be gone soon whether or not you like it, and that's final." He stormed out of the room, and as soon as he left, the tears poured from Nel's face once again.

XXXXX

Albel woke up that Sunday morning feeling even grumpier than usual, and for reasons he wasn't bothering to figure out so early. He dragged himself out of his large bed, lazily stretching as he stood up. He walked out of his large apartment bedroom and into the kitchen, taking a quick glance at the calendar and clock as he passed.

"Huh. 11:12am on a Sunday…what the hell is going to happen today?" He mumbled as he looked around the fridge. His hand eventually settled on a carton of milk and he pulled it out to drink straight from the bottle. 'Sunday…Cliff and Fayt haven't planned anything that I can remember. Maybe I should make this a rest day. There's been a lot of shit going on at school lately.'

Albel put the milk away and left the kitchen for his living room couch. He plopped on it, turned on the TV with the remote, and began flipping through the channels for something to watch. As he landed on one channel, a commercial for Baby Oil was playing.

The display showed how bubbly and excited the baby was, and for a second he couldn't pull his eyes away, but he quickly shook it out and continued his channel surfing. Babies…it reminded him of Nel and he did not want to remember her at the moment.

Albel finally settled on a channel, and barely an hour into the boring program, he was once again asleep. Fuzzily his dreams came to him, and the world that he saw did not look pleasant. Perhaps it was a nightmare?

Within his dream he could see that he was in a room, a hospital operating room, to be specific. A light was shining on him from above and people, most likely doctors, were around him. He then heard one doctor speak. "Okay, Ms. Zelpher. We will now begin the operation…"

'Wait, how can this be? Why am I in Zelpher's body? Why am I here?' Albel suddenly felt moisture on his borrowed body's face. Nel was beginning to cry and he could feel each tear sliding down her face. 'Is today that what's happening today? Nel's abortion? Is this the abortion operation? Why is she crying then? She'll have a normal life again…I don't understand!'

He saw the needle coming down, and just as it pierced into the abdomen, everything suddenly went white. When the light died down he was back in his apartment, but it somehow felt different, like someone else was there too. His answer soon came in the form of a noise, a crying from his room.

He cautiously entered his bedroom and off to one side of the room that he was sure was empty before, was a crib. He walked to the crib and peered inside, and lying within the blankets was a small baby. It looked barely a year old, with a full head of brown and blond hair, and had the baby not been crying with its eyes shut, he would have seen that it had bright emerald green eyes.

He was about to pick up the child when suddenly hands went through his chest to pick up the baby instead. After the baby was pulled away, through his chest again, he noted, he quickly checked himself. He was solid to himself, but not others? So perhaps this was still a dream.

He finally turned around to face the pacifier of the child, only half surprised to see that it was Nel. She stood in front of him, cradling the baby over her heart and breast. She was stroking the baby's hair and whispering softly into its ear.

The baby was allayed quickly, demonstrating to Albel the power a mother had over her children, and he was amazed. He watched as Nel gave a small smile to the child followed by a light kiss on its head, and for a second Albel was jealous of the kid. He watched as she tucked the baby away and walked out, once again leaving him with what he presumed to be his mini-me.

He looked back into the crib and there it lay asleep with a look of peace on its face. He reached a hand in and lightly stroked the side of its face, appalled by how soft it was. The baby began to stir awake again and before he could stop and pull away, its eyes opened and Albel finally saw how bright green those glassy eyes were.

Those eyes stared straight at him. It finally dawned on him that this was truly his child, his child with Nel. As a mental side note, he prided himself on what a beautiful child he had made, and for sure knew that they'd be a killer for looks when they were older.

Looking at the child got him thinking about Nel again, and thinking of Nel brought up the memories following their drunken night. They weren't very pleasant memories, all the times he had sent Nel away with a frown, but he had some nice ones, like the times where'd see her happy and smiling.

He didn't understand why he began to…what was the word he was looking for, care? about Nel? He admitted it must be something about her personality, as most of the girls that approached him were hardly memorable. Nel, on the other hand, was well known to him, and not just because she was popular and he was in the popular crowd as well, but because though they had talked only a handful of times, he'd been observing her for months before they even began to talk.

He had always told himself it was out of curiosity, an interest in what made Ms. Perfect tick. He still tells himself this. He didn't think he'd ever talk to his red-headed, very popular, locker neighbor, nor did he ever think he'd bed her or even get her pregnant. He didn't even consider himself to be in love with her. Again, maybe he was genuinely intrigued, or maybe even lustful of her, but definitely not love.

…But looking at this child, _his_ child, _**their**_child…something this beautiful could not have been made out of one loveless drunken mistaken, only love could've done this.

Albel stroked the baby's face one more time before pulling away. A strange warmth filled him, and something akin to contentment settled in his heart. Suddenly, the reality of the situation didn't seem half as bad, especially if this was the result.

With a final glance Albel memorized the baby's features, and the baby stared back with just as much acknowledgement. The little babe raised its arms towards him, but suddenly the baby began to mouth something. It continued to repeat the phrase until it was audible enough to Albel.

"Save me!" The baby screamed out one last time before crying once again in loud wails. That was more than enough to awaken him from his dream.

XXXXX

Done with chapter 8!

Sorry for the minor(?) cliff hanger.

I have the next chapter mostly written out as well so when I find more time again, I'll type it up. I typed this one up in 3 hours. :D

Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

OTM 9

XXXXX

Albel's eyes abruptly opened and he scrambled to sit up. He registered the dream that he had just had, the feelings he felt still swirling inside and reminding him of his future child. He knew what he had to do now, he had to stop the abortion and save it from death.

He rushed from the couch to his bedroom eager to leave. In his haste he grabbed a random shirt and slipped on a pair of shoes before he rushed out of the door. He jumped into his car and zoomed off to the Aquios Hospital.

He arrived in thirty minutes and took no extra time in running inside and up to the service counter. Between breaths he asked the nurse behind the counter, "Ma'am, w-which room i-is Nel Zelpher i-in?"

The lady stare at him with disinterest and with a bored tone responded back. "What is your relation to this patient? I can't freely give information without verifying some sort of relation."

"Dammit, I don't have time for this! Just tell me what room she's in!"

"Sorry sir, I can't comply with that. Hospital policy."

Albel took on a deadly look and slammed his hands on the counter. "I am the father of her child, and if you don't tell me what room she's in right now, if my baby is aborted, then _you'll_ be aborted on the spot! Now tell me where the fuck she is!"

The lady trembled under his gaze as she quickly looked for Nel's room number. "She's in the Maternity ward, fourth floor, room 405." Albel was about to run off but she quickly included, "Uh, I don't know if she'll be there though. They're probably bringing her to the operation room right now…"

Albel's eyes widened; he didn't have much time left. He sprinted for the elevators, managing to catch one just before it closed. It seemed like it wasn't going fast enough for as soon as the doors opened on his floor, he bolted out and ran down the hallway.

He looked left and right for the operating room. Moving further down the hallway he finally spotted it, along with a bed being rolled inside with a red-headed crying patient on top of it. He made an instant realization, "Nel!" He yelled out.

An older couple who stood outside of the room turned their heads towards the boy. The man, who was also red-headed and presumably the father of Nel, stepped forward as soon as Albel approached. "Who are you, young man" Neville sternly asked.

Albel ignored the question and went straight to the matter. "You've got to stop this operation."

"Why should I comply to the wishes of someone I don't even know? I will not stop the operation."

"Then I will…" Albel was about to burst through the door when a strong hand stopped him from going anywhere.

"You will not go in there. Tell me, who are you?!"

"What the fuck is with all these people asking me who the hell I am? I'm the baby's father, the one who knocked up Nel after a drunken night, the one who tossed her aside because I was in denial! I'm gonna be Nel's boyfriend and future husband because I'm gonna take responsibility. Now let me the _fuck_ go so I can stop this shit from happening!"

Albel wrenched himself away and as planned, burst through the operation room doors. The doctors immediately stopped what they were doing, pausing the needle that would have pierced Nel's uterus. He walked to her bedside and stroked the side of her face before facing the doctors. "Stop this operation right now. We both don't want the abortion; we want to keep this baby."

XXXXX

An hour after the halted operation, Nel awoke with a groggily start. She slowly blinked her eyes and made to rub them with a hand only to feel a different hand grasping her own. She looked to her left to see who was holding her hand and gasped. "Albel! What are you doing here?" She moved to sit up but Albel pushed her back down.

"Lay back down, you and the baby need to rest." He said calmly.

Nel looked at him oddly at first but after suddenly grasping the meaning, grabbed her stomach in worry. Albel, expecting and knowing that Nel would react to this, relaxed in his seat and said, "It's still there. The operation was stopped."

He continued after yet again receiving a confused look. "I stopped it, Nel, if that's what you're wondering. Your dad tried to stop me but I told him the truth, and I told him that…" He added a dramatic sigh. "I'd take full responsibility of you and the baby."

Her eyes widened in surprise but they were soon replaced with a tears and a smile. She fully laid back, gently touching her stomach and freely crying her joy. Albel was somewhat happier. Actually that was an understatement, he felt happier than he had in ages. The guilt he originally held was now gone, replaced by a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. The good feelings he had even made him do the unusual, it induced a smile, a genuine smile at that.

When her tears finally dried, Nel's parents entered the room tensely quiet. Albel was about to leave but Neville stopped him, forcing the young man to sit back down in his chair.

With a frown on his face, Neville looked between Nel and Albel, terribly disappointed with the outcome but knew he no longer had a say in the matter. "Nel, as this young man may have told you, the operation did not go through." She nodded. "I was only doing what would give your future a favorable outcome. Having this baby is going to put you on a hard path, but…it seems like you won't be in it alone."

He faced Albel. "Young man, you've made the decision to take on responsibility. It's a big responsibility and I'm glad my daughter has someone she can rely on. What is the name of my future son-in-law."

Albel caught Nel looking at him with shock and covered up his blush with a cough. "Albel, sir. Albel Nox."

Neville's eyes widened considerably. "Nox? As in Nox of Airyglyph? Are you by any chance Glou's son?"

Albel nodded slowly. "He is my father…why? Do you know him or something?"

"Oh you have no idea. Glou and I were best friends throughout high school and college! My Apris, I never would have imagined the day I would meet Glou's son, and least of all have my best friend's son be my future son-in-law. It's fate!" Neville's serious attitude immediately melted away at the revelation that Albel was a very closer friend's son.

Nel looked on happily. Things were starting to look up. She would get to keep her baby and Albel was here to stay. She just hoped that it would stay that way.

XXXXX

Yosh, finally got this chapter posted. Hope you liked it, things are going to start winding down from here. I'd say another five to six chapters left and then the end.

Another note about the upcoming chapters. They're not as fully written out as the last three chapters have been, so these next ones may be shorter in length, or may take longer to come out as they're not fully done yet.

I only have a little less than a month before I go on a month long break. During that time I'll try to focus on writing, so please be patient!

Thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

OTM 10

XXXXX

Neville's smile never seemed to dim. He continued to look at Albel with such happiness. "It's such a pleasant surprise to be meeting my best friend's son. Really looking at you, you do look a lot like your father. Those blood red eyes of his are definitely a Glou trait. Ah, but your hair must have come from your mother. Wow, it's like seeing a young Glou again." He gave Albel a hearty slap on the back.

"I lost contact with him quite some time ago. Did you guys move away from Airyglyph?"

"I suppose so. My family has been living in Kirlsa for the past decade or so."

"Ah, no wonder I can't seem to get a hold him. Any letters I send just get sent right back. Well, I wouldn't suppose you would mind giving me your family's number? I would like to set up a get-together to catch up on old times, as well as discuss your and Nel's little mistake." Albel nodded and wrote the information on a small piece of paper before handing it back to Neville.

"Well, we should leave you to rest a bit, Nel. You'll have your first check up in a few hours and then you'll be excused home. Until then, Albel, I want to talk to you in private for a second."

Albel followed Neville outside of the room, curious as to what the older man would like to discuss. If it was about Nel, hadn't it all been discussed already?

Neville stopped a distance away from Albel before turning around to face him, his eyes pinning the young man with a seriousness only a father could give. "Albel, I must be honest. I'm slightly disappointed with how things turned out. Now, I'm not saying I'd kill my own grandchild just because I didn't want Nel to have one; I'm saying this because timing is important. You're both still _young_. You would have had much to do before you, and though I'm not sure about what you planned to do with yourself before all this, Albel, whatever that was, it'll have to be put aside for this child.

See, Albel; now that you will become a parent, your life now revolves solely around your child. It's not just about _you_ anymore; it's about your _baby_ and then you. It's up to you to do everything within your power to make sure that your child grows up strong and healthy and the greatest possible future before them.

I'll admit, I was a little too rough on Nel. She's always done her best, has always done whatever would please us, and she'd do it unselfishly. This is the first time Nel's ever really expressed a deep desire for something. I suppose she's proved she's ready for what's to come ahead. From all she's done she's certainly earned it. But Albel, why are you here? Why are you taking responsibility?"

Albel had remained pensively quiet throughout Neville's speech. When Nel's father had asked him that sudden question, he was left for a second without things to say. The dream he had earlier that day reappeared in his head followed by his frenzied rush to the hospital. Honestly, he still wasn't exactly sure why he changed his mind about the situation. He could easily place the blame on guilt, but it wouldn't explain the warmth he felt in his heart when he saw his child's face. He didn't know if that was love or not, all he knew was that it felt good.

"I..I don't really know myself, unfortunately. Nel had told me about the operation a few days before but I expressed my indifference. Then today, all of a sudden something told me I should stop it. I don't know if it's because I just wanted to get the guilt off my chest, or if it's because I love Nel or something…all I know is I'm here now. I'm ready to take on responsibility."

Neville smiled in understanding and acceptance. He held a hand out to Albel, silently asking for a handshake, his approval of Albel's decision. Albel took it and the two males firmly shook hands, sealing Albel's fate with Nel.

XXXXX

Nel was woken up by the doctor in time for her check up. She was nervous as all hell. She should be, after all she was around four months pregnant and not once had she gone to see the doctors. All she could hope for was good news from the doctor.

Albel stayed in the room with Nel as the nurse set up the ultrasound machine. Like Nel, he was curious about what news the doctor would have for them. Once the nurse was done, the doctor came in and bowed politely at the young couple.

"Nice to meet you, Nel. I'm Dr. Marietta and I'll be the one to help you through your pregnancy." Marietta's warm smile instantly calmed Nel's nerves. Things were definitely looking up for her.

"So Ms. Zelpher, this is your first appointment, correct?" The doctor received a nod. "And this is the father, yes?" Another nod. "Well, as embarrassing as it might be I'm going to have to ask the both of you a series of questions before I get on with the ultrasound."

"First off, have either of you had a history of smoking, drugs, or drinking?" She received a shake of their heads. "Good, okay, have either of you had sexual intercourse with other partners before this pregnancy? If either one of you have done so and have contracted an STD or the HIV, it could be fatal to the mother and the child." Nel shook her head while Albel nodded, earning him a glare from the red head.

Albel explained. "Yes, I've had sex with someone else before, but I got tested after and I don't have any problems." Marietta nodded and wrote down some notes while Nel continued to glare at Albel.

"Next, when did you have sex, and when was your last period?"

Nel blushed and distractedly clenched the bed sheet between her hands. "I think we had sex around four months ago, and I think I had my period before we had sex. I'm not really sure, it's been a while."

"That's fine if you don't really know; the size of the fetus should tell us what week exactly you're in. We ask this because it will help give an even greater estimate as to what your delivery date is." Marietta put down her notes and stood next to the ultrasound machine. "Well, now it's time for the exciting part. We'll finally get to see your baby! Nel, I'm going to need you to lift up your blouse so as to expose your tummy. And the gel will be a bit cold but try to not mind it too much."

Albel scooted closer to Nel's bed side when Marietta began to spread the gel across Nel's stomach with the wand. As Marietta stroked along the hard tummy, she stared at the screen in front of her, searching for the baby. After a minute she stopped the wand and smiled. "There it is, your precious baby."

Marietta pointed out the faint shape of a baby on the sonogram. "This is the head right here, arms and then legs right there. Looking at the size of the baby, you're about twenty weeks along, which is around the time you said you've last had sex with your partner. That's very good news as it means your baby is growing healthily."

Although still not extremely clear, even for being this far along, Nel was overwhelmed with what she saw. That whitish blob on the screen was their baby. She looked at Albel with tears in her eyes, curious as to what his own thoughts were.

Albel was also taken aback by the sonogram, although he didn't so openly express this. This was life, life he had created with Nel. And suddenly, everything seemed so surreal. His future, as unknown as it was to him, wasn't as worrisome as before. He'd have Nel with him and their child.

Albel also snuck a glance to Nel, surprised slightly to find her staring at him. She had a soft smile on her face and her eyes looked glassy with unshed tears. She looked…cute to Albel, which was a surprising mental admission. Even more surprisingly, his heart began to beat a little faster, stirring his body into doing things he'd rarely ever done. Out of nowhere he took Nel's hand in his and returned the smile.

Dr. Marietta saw the small interaction between them and smiled herself. It was extremely rare to see nowadays but it was good to see that a young couple was looking forward to their child rather than getting rid of it.

"I'll print out a few pictures of the sonogram as I'm sure this is a touching moment you'd like to keep." Marietta began to put away the ultrasound after putting in the order to print the sonogram pictures. "Well, Nel, you're healthy, and you're baby's healthy. I'm going to prescribe some vitamins just for extra measure, but it seems you're doing fine. I won't need to see you again for another three weeks."

A nurse popped in with a manila envelope in hand and handed it to Marietta. "These are your sonogram pictures and here's the prescription. Congratulations, Nel, and good luck."

XXXXX

It was on Tuesday that Nel finally came back to school. Tynave and Farleen, who had been informed by Claire that Nel was sick, hugged her with a strong grip and bombarded her with their worries. Nel managed to pry them off and eased their concerns. She assured them that it was nothing serious, while the look she sent to Claire told a different story.

Tynave and Farleen were pleased enough with the answer and left for their seats to give Nel her space. Claire instantly retook their spot and gestured for Nel to sit before sitting down to face her. "So?" She vaguely questioned.

Nel bit her lip and looked around for eavesdroppers before leaning in and surprising Claire. "It didn't go through. Albel unexpectedly burst in at the last minute and stopped the operation. It seems that he wants to take responsibility now and has convinced my parents to let me keep it."

Claire's eyes widened as Nel expected it to, she stated as much too. "He came and _stopped_ the operation? I thought he jumped ship and wanted nothing to do with you. What's with the sudden change?"

"I know as much as you do. He hasn't told me his reasons yet, but the fact that he stopped the operation on his own must mean he cares, even if only a little. I hope he doesn't feel like I've pitied him into staying with me. I seriously appreciate that he's decided to take responsibility."

"Well, if he's on board, what does that make him, other than being the father?"

Nel blushed, "Well, since he's taken responsibility, my dad's insisting on us getting married, especially when he learned that Albel was his long time friend's son…"

A brow slightly raised, "Married? That's quite the jump. Are you against it? Do you hold any feelings for him?"

Nel sighed and leaned back against her chair. "Don't know much about that either. There's something that I like about him, and I kind of wished we were in a proper relationship, but…I've had my doubts." She instinctively brushed her hand against her stomach, settling it there for a few seconds before looking at Claire again. "What I do know is that this child won't grow up fatherless. Yes, we'll be married, but the main purpose of this relationship is the baby. Love will be something that might come along the way."

Though she stated that love was second to baby in this relationship, deep inside she hoped that she and Albel would genuinely come to love each other, not just obligated to each other through matrimony and responsibility of a child.

The memory of Nel's checkup popped into her head and she remembered Albel's soft smile and touch. It felt like it was a touch given out of love, but she could only wish for such a happening.

The bell rang, signifying the start of class. Claire turned around and Nel promptly sat up. She would have to worry about this later, because right now the Ms. Perfect façade had to be in place.

XXXXX

Albel quietly sat in the back of his calculus class. He stared at the book in front of him, though he wasn't really focused on it. Rather, he was focusing on the new path his life he had decided to take. How different will his life be now that he's accepted such a responsibility? Looking back on what he and Nel had done, he decided that it was a foolish mistake, yes, but a mistake that helped set his future in stone, a future he hadn't really thought about.

'_You're both still young. You would have had much to do before you, and though I'm not sure about what you planned to do with yourself before all this, Albel, whatever that was, it'll have to be put aside for this child._'

Albel understood this but was not shaken because he didn't have anything specifically planned once he reached adulthood. With the connections his father had, he could be nearly anything he wanted, so he never gave any real thought to it. And speaking of his old man, what is his father going to say once he hears his son knocked up and old friend's daughter? Probably reprimand him for his actions and then demand he marry the girl. 'Just like Nel's dad.'

Marriage…it seemed inevitable now, not that he was against it. If their fathers were best friends, then they would most likely force Nel and Albel into a marriage so that they could associate with one another again. He thought about it deeper. If they got married, say within Nel's pregnancy, the child would not be considered an illegitimate child. He would also have Nel, which he mentally admitted he was okay with, especially since he was starting to grow fond of her, and they would live a fairly normal life.

Yeah, marriage with Nel didn't sound half bad, and Albel made his decision to marry her, when the time was right of course.

XXXXX

Nel and Albel's family met up a week after the operation. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She was terrified and worried that she would potentially make a fool of herself. What would Albel's parents think of her? Basing it on the reaction of her own parents, it wasn't a decidedly good reaction. Would they think she's a whore? Someone unworthy of their son?

Nel's hands trembled by her sides as her anxiousness began to worsen. Albel immediately took notice and quietly held one of her hands in his own. It caused Nel to stare at him in shock. Albel was trying to calm her with this small gesture, and as surprising as the action was, it was working. She grasped his hand tighter and steeled her nerves right when Albel's parents appeared.

They came around the corner with her parents, laughing and smiling, looking like the two couples have never been apart from each other for years. It gave her slight hope that she'd be more easily accepted. When they finally approached her, her nerves were taut, but they instantly relaxed when she saw their smiles directed at her.

"Hello, Nel." Albel's mother said with a soft smile. Unexpectedly she hugged Nel, conveying to the young woman that she was welcomed and accepted.

"I hope Albel's been treating you alright. He can be such a jerk sometimes." The woman lightly glared at her son before putting her attention on Nel again. "Oh, how could I forget? Proper introductions, of course! I'm Albel's mother, Natasha, but I most definitely give you permission to call me mother, since you'll be married to my son soon."

Nel was still so shocked from the hug but nodded at Natasha. Her emotions were going haywire, possibly worsened by her pregnancy and rise in hormones. It still felt nice though, knowing that she'd been accepted by Albel's family. Really, things were looking up for her.

After re-introductions, both families headed to the dining room to further discuss recent events over dinner. Dinner itself was casual and comfortable. Minor conversations were made, allowing the parents to fully reconnect and Albel and Nel to learn a few unknown things about them.

But as pleasant as the conversations were, now that dinner was over, it was time to focus on the main reason for the gathering, Nel's pregnancy.

Glou jumped right into the topic, as was his usual manner in any situation. "So my son got you pregnant, Nel?" Nel blushed but nodded. "And he's taking responsibility. How?"

"I'm going to marry, Nel," Albel answered seriously.

Natasha's eyes glittered in excitement. "So you two will be married then. Will this be a small civil wedding or a large church wedding?"

Albel grimaced slightly. "That's a little sudden to ask, don't you think?"

Albel's mom waved off her son's shy expression. "Oh, not at all! Time moves faster than you'd expect, son, so it doesn't hurt to do things in a timely fashion. So what will it be?"

"Well that all depends on her pregnancy. Nel's four months pregnant and school ends in about three months…" Albel looked at Nel for some help.

"So maybe right after we graduate we can get married." Nel quickly added in.

"You'd be pretty big by then. I think a dress would be a pretty tight fit." Glou teased.

Natasha slapped his arm. "That's not a very nice thing to say. Be considerate to our daughter-in-law." She turned to Nel with an apologetic look. "Sorry, dear, Glou loves to tease. It's how he shows affection."

'Hmm, like father, like son then.' Nel thought, looking between Albel and Glou. "No offense taken. But yes, I think after graduation would be ideal. Just a small civil wedding would be best. Maybe after the pregnancy will we have a nicer, more official wedding, if that's okay?"

The parents looked thoughtful, sending messages through their eyes, but it seemed they agreed. Neville spoke up for all of them.

"Yes, that seems pretty alright. You do still need to concentrate on your studies and graduate." There were nods from the parents all around.

Glou spoke next. "You also need to get comfortable with each other. Go on dates or something."

He saw the looks on the two teens' faces and quickly added, "This may have been one big mistake bringing the two of you together, but you're taking responsibility and you'll be with each other for the rest of your life. Now I'm not saying you'll fall in love with each other immediately, but it will definitely make the situation less awkward."

Albel and Nel understood, but they still had their doubts. Yes, this was a big mistake and they were going about it the right way, but it didn't really ensure anything. They were getting closer with each other, a comfortable friendship with each other, but maybe it would never progress from there.

The two glanced at each other, the same worrisome thoughts running through their minds.

Nel's mom, Nuri Zelpher, smiled calmly at the two. "Consider yourselves officially engaged. Congrats you two."

XXXXX

Finished the next installment! I feel accomplished.

I made the chapter decently longer; hope that will satiate your appetite until the next update.

Thank you for being so patient with this story. I've been working on this for many years now and I do intend to finish it.

Thank you for reading! See you in the next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

OTM 11

Note: Again, Albel's going to start being OOC from this point on. Sometimes the prospect of having children really changes a person; I'm using him as an example of that.

XXXXX

Nel had just closed her locker when she looked up to see Albel staring down at her. "Yes, Albel? Did you need something?"

His eyes shifted away from hers as he said, "We have the next class together so I figured I'd walk you there..."

Nel was just as surprised as Albel was flustered. It was very unlike him, but he was making an effort and trying, unlike before. She wasn't sure how long the kindness would last, but she wouldn't pass up the opportunity either. "Uh, sure. That would be nice."

They began their trek to the class, Albel closely following Nel as they walked. As they walked they got numerous stares and whispers speculating the two opposites' sudden closeness. He would easily shush them with one of his killer glares, threatening certain death if they blew the situation beyond proportions.

It seemed like they couldn't reach the classroom fast enough. Nel was becoming nervous under their stares. If they stared long enough would they notice her slight baby bulge? If she was given away now she'd cry. She wasn't mentally ready to have everyone know her secret yet! Suddenly she felt a hand cross her abdomen and plant itself right above the bump. She jumped and nearly yelped allowed but restrained it once she remembered who she was with.

Albel had sensed her worry, and in another unexpected display of affection, pulled her close to him by the waist. Of course, all those who saw the action near died from the shock. He didn't blame them; he was not known for being this soft for anything, but all of a sudden here he was walking a girl, and not just any girl, but the Ice Queen of Peterny High, to class and slinging his arm possessively around her waist, even if it was really just to hide the baby bump. It was out of character for him but he didn't necessarily find it to be bad.

Nel somehow felt perfect within his grasp, melding nicely against his body. He liked it, possibly so much so that even when they entered the classroom and he walked her to her seat, he hadn't let go. He didn't even notice that while he held her waist, he was drawing circles on her distended belly nearly the whole time. He would have continued to do this if Nel hadn't captured his attention again.

"Albel...Albel, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?" He asked distractedly.

"What are you doing with your hand?"

He looked at said hand and jerked it away once he noticed what it was doing. "It was nothing. I was trying to distract you from everyone's stares earlier." He said upon remembering his reason for holding her in the first place.

She found the answer to be acceptable, but it still felt as though there was more he wasn't mentioning. "If you say so." She sat herself down in the desk's chair and got herself ready for class.

She expected Albel to go to his own seat, but he planted himself in the seat next to her. "You do know someone else sits there right?"

Albel shrugged the question off, "Of course I do, and when they come, I'll tell them to sit elsewhere. I want to sit next to you today."

Albel was surprising Nel left and right today. Really, this change in attitude was out of character for him, but if this was him being serious about their situation, then definitely, she wasn't going to complain. In fact, this might make her fall in love faster.

XXXXX

The week continued and Albel's nice attitude, well, to Nel at least, had yet to change. The rumors had escalated to blatant gossip that Albel and Nel were officially dating. If Nel and Albel were popular before, well they were headline news now.

But it really made Nel wonder. Everyone thought they were dating; with how much Albel followed her around and did not hold back on any public displays of affection, she'd think they were dating too. But that was exactly, they _weren't_ officially dating, at least, Albel hadn't officially asked her out or said anything about it. Despite not being told though, Nel liked to believe they were.

Their newly made relationship though made everything _that_ much more difficult with regards to her pregnancy. With people constantly speculating on their new relationship, Nel's worries over having her pregnancy discovered was worsening. She only had so many loose fitting blouses, and they could only hide it for so long.

She'd have to tell the principal about it soon. Alongside, asking Albel about when they'd do this, she reminded herself to ask about their relationship, whether they were together for real or not.

XXXXX

Since they'd been hanging out, every day after school Albel would drive them to Nel's house and he would stay with her until her parents came home.

Now Friday, as soon as Nel and Albel got home, she immediately headed to her room to change her clothes. By the time Albel made it up to her room, she was redressed in baggy clothing and standing in front of the mirror. He plopped down on her bed and observed her, silently wondering what exactly she was looking at.

After a few minutes of staring at herself from multiple angles, she looked at Albel and asked, "Am I getting fat?"

He barely restrained a laugh, covering it up by looking her over seriously. "Well…"

Nel gasped and then pouted. "Albel! You're so mean…"

He smirked and got up to wrap his arms around her waist from her front. "No, Nel; you're not fat…not yet, anyways." That earned him another pout and a poke to his side. "You of all people, Ms. Perfect, should know that it's not fat you carry, but a baby. It's growing, and you'll be growing with it."

He ran his hands across her stomach, feeling the hard protrusion and being inwardly awed by what it held inside. "It's…amazing, this whole thing."

"I know…I know." Nel smiled softly at Albel. It had been a week and still she wasn't quite used to the sudden break down of character when the two of them were together.

Then she remembered, "Ah, sorry to ruin the moment but I've been meaning to ask you something." Albel guided them to her bed before letting her proceed with her question. "Are we officially dating?" The weird look Albel gave her had her explaining why she felt the need to ask. "I mean, there are all these rumors about us really being together, and it doesn't help that you're being so touchy feely with me, especially when everyone knows you aren't normally like that. It'd just be weird, you know? If we're doing all this and we're not really together?"

A brief silence overcame the two as Albel pondered over her question. "It can be assumed that we are dating, we are fiancées after all."

Though his answer was not fully what she wanted to hear, it was sufficient enough for now. She shouldn't have expected him to suddenly break out in a confession to her…maybe one day though.

"Oh! One more thing…About telling the Principal, when should we tell her?"

"The sooner, the better. You don't have much time left before you're really showing." He emphasized this with a stroke along her raised belly.

She was lucky to have reached the fourth, almost fifth, month without an extremely noticeable tummy, but Albel was right, it wouldn't last much longer. "Would tomorrow be too sudden?"

"Whenever you'd like."

"Then we'll go in tomorrow morning." Nel heard Albel groan, knowing he was not a morning a person. 'Well, he did say soon was best.'

XXXXX

The next morning came quickly. Today was the day they'd see the principal, the day they would reveal their mistake.

Nel was all nerves while Albel remained characteristically indifferent; of the two of them, someone had to stay calm. In fact, he was the one who pulled them into the principal's office in the end.

As soon as they entered, Nel bowed apologetically for the sudden intrusion into the woman's office. "Principal Romeria…we're very sorry for bothering you so early this morning."

Romeria put aside the papers she was looking at to put her attention on her unexpected visitors, inviting them to sit down in the plush chairs before her desk. "It's no problem, Ms. Zelpher, but what brings you here, and with Mr. Nox as well?" Calculating red eyes stared at the young couple in front of her.

Nel fidgeted in her seat and sent a quick glance to Albel, who continued to look expressionless. Knowing Albel wasn't going to be of much help so early in the morning, she began to speak. "Albel and I have a bit of a problem…" She started.

Romeria's eyes widened with curiosity. "And what is this problem?"

Nel gathered her remaining courage and straightened up in her seat, "I…am pregnant, principal."

The principal's face softened considerably, "Oh Nel…you must be so scared." She looked at Albel. "And you must be the father.

Albel grunted in response and crossed his arms. "I'm taking full responsibility for her and the child. I won't abandon her, if you're concerned principal."

The older woman stared him down for a moment before looking away and folding her hands on the desk. "You're serious about this…that's very good. Nel, I'm assuming you've told me this because you're going to be keeping the baby."

"Yes, it was our mistake and I need to face it."

Romeria nodded before glancing at Nel's stomach. "How far along are you, my dear?"

Nel looked contemplative but Albel quickly filled in. "She's almost eighteen weeks."

"So far along! And you've managed to keep it secret from everyone up to this point? I'm surprised!" Romeria smiled calmly at her students and continued, "You've both made life-changing decisions which I hope neither of you regret. I know you're feeling the weight of this situation, Nel, especially since you're a model student. I will request an assembly to announce your situation and demand that the students continue as normal. The same goes for yourself and Mr. Nox.

There are only fourteen weeks of school left so I'm still demanding attendance. I want the both of you to graduate. You'll be quite along in your pregnancy by the time summer comes, and certainly it will attract attention, but you must continue classes as you normally would. Is that clear?"

"Certainly, principal!" Nel smiled happily, relieved to know that the principal was supportive of her decision.

"Alright then. See you at assembly seventh period."

Nel and Albel got up then, leaving the principal's office visibly more relaxed than before. Albel took her hand in his before heading them once again to the roof top, what had now become their usual meeting-slash-relaxation spot.

Albel sat himself on the ground and leaned against a wall before gesturing Nel to sit on his lap. She blushed up on understanding the request but complied and carefully settled in his lap.

Albel's hands wrapped around her waist and brought her close to rest on him. He began to massage her shoulders carefully, the tense muscles underneath quivering from the hand motions. "Relax, Nel…" his low voice furthering the calm effect.

Her eyes closed as she nearly melted in his arms, leaning further into his fingers. He finally stopped once the muscles relaxed but did nothing to removed Nel from his lap; instead he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, hands resting over her stomach. He could easily feel the hard bump hidden underneath the barrier of her clothing and inwardly smiled.

"Albel, we're seriously going through with this…"

"I know, and I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, and I'm still curious as to why."

Albel snorted, "And you won't get to know just yet."

"And why not?"

"Because I still don't really know the answer myself."

Nel stopped the questioning there, not sure what else she could ask him, and let the rest of their time on the roof pass in a comfortable silence. Their principal was now made aware, and soon that very afternoon, the school would be too. She should enjoy every moment of normalcy left before things spiraled out of control from the major changes she was about to face.

XXXXX

Lunch came faster than she expected, but she was truly relieved. Making up excuses to go to the bathroom had become a challenge, especially when the teachers were less than willing to accept them when they came as often as they did.

"Nel, what's wrong with you? You've been vomiting for weeks now and yet you act like nothing's wrong. If you're going to chuck it up later, you shouldn't be stuffing your face with food."

Nel took another bite of her food. "It's okay, Tynave. I'm not going to be vomiting as much soon; the doctor told me. Don't worry about me. Oh, Farleen, can you pass me the soy sauce? I want to put it on my burrito."

Tynave could only stare at Nel. She knew something was wrong with her friend, but why was Nel denying it? More importantly, why wasn't Clair fussing about it? She'd have been the first one to worry over Nel but so far she hasn't done a thing. Maybe it was because she knew what was wrong? That just brought Tynave back to square one; what was wrong with Nel? Her thoughts were soon interrupted when a new presence sat themselves on the other side of Nel.

"Mm, hey, Albel." Nel greeted after swallowing.

"And the boyfriend comes to visit." Claire joked.

Nel blushed and looked away while Albel smirked at her. "Claire, don't joke about that!" She pouted.

"Let her; she only speaks the truth. Can't I visit what is mine?" Albel teased. He snaked an arm around her waist and gently tugged her into his lap.

"Albel!" Cat calls sounded from not only her friends but from a few people watching nearby. Ignoring her protests and struggles, his hands began to gently rub at her sides to ease her surprise and eventually calm her down.

"So how are you today, woman?" He asked her once Nel had relaxed enough that she was resting against him.

"Well, I'm fine besides the fact that you embarrassed me in front of everyone just now."

He smirked again and tucked his head in her neck before whispering softly into her ear, "I can always turn this up a notch, Nel." His breath puffed against her neck causing Nel to shiver. She steeled herself and shook him off.

"I'll stay in your lap, but just don't do things like that again. It's so embarrassing."

A very amused smirked was now plastered on his face. Albel obeyed her wishes though and went back to gently stroking her sides, occasionally switching to draw circles on her stomach. Nel's friends could only uncomfortably watch the scene before them, feeling like they were intruding on a sweet moment between the two.

Claire looked at the couple happily. Really, she was happy for them, especially for Nel. Things were not looking bad for their future and she hoped their stroke of good luck would continue for a long time. If it did then their makeshift relationship would solidify into long lasting happiness. That was all she could ever hope for Nel. The girl certainly deserved it after all she's done.

XXXXX

Afternoon arrived and as suddenly requested by the principal, instead of the students' usual seventh period class, they were gathered into the school's assembly hall for what everyone assumed was an important announcement.

Once the student body was gathered, principal Romeria stood in front, eyes scanning over everyone in the room before speaking.

"I've called on this impromptu school meeting because we've had an incident that should be called to our attention. It concerns the consequences of copulation, or in other words, pregnancy."

She heard many of the young men and women in front of her whisper and murmur at the topic. She continued, "I realize that many of you may participate in sexual acts, but I don't know how many of you practice _safe sex_. You may have heard it before a million times over but you should still be made aware of the potential consequences of unprotected sex. The possibilities of this happening is not excluded to anyone, even the most perfect of our students."

Nel saw principal Romeria's eyes land on her before the older woman nodded. She took this as the sign to stand up alongside Albel and pulled herself up to face her fellow students.

"Our reputed Ms. Perfect, Nel Zelpher, is four, almost five, months pregnant by our football star, Albel Nox."

The student body gasped and the murmurs rose in volume greatly. It disturbed Nel greatly and her hand instantly ducked down to entwine with Albel's as she leaned closer to him.

Albel did not refused the touch at all; rather, he scowled at anyone who he heard mention anything rude about Nel. When he saw the principal nod her head again, he promptly sat the both of them down, slinging his arm over her shoulders to show his protectiveness over his fiancée. He briefly wondered why he was going as far as he was with the displays of affection with Nel, but he told himself that it was because they were engaged that he was allowed as much.

It certainly seemed that Nel didn't mind it; he swore he felt her move closer after he wrapped his arm around her, and it felt really nice to hold her, as he'd come to realize time and time again when he would put her in his arms.

Romeria continued, "Our dear Ms. Perfect of Peterny High has decided to face the consequences of her mistake and is responsibly going to care for the child. She has truly proven herself a role model student, even through this trial."

Pinning her look on each of the students she finished up the announcement with one last request, "I ask that as you are around Nel, you do not bring attention to her situation. You are to treat her with as much respect as you've previously done. She will be graduating alongside her class as if nothing has changed. Is this understood?"

The crowd of students nodded upon seeing the seriousness in their principal's eyes, and once she was pleased with the response, the school was dismissed early. The students did not waste a second in clearing out the hall leaving Romeria, Nel, and Albel behind.

Romeria walked down from the stage and approached the young couple with a relaxed smile on her face. Nel quickly approached her and bowed out of respect.

"Thank you so much, principal!" She smiled gratefully at the older woman.

"It was no problem at all. Just tell me if any student gives you a problem, I'll straighten them out."

"I don't think I'll have too much trouble with that. Albel would take care of them first."

"Is that so? Well then, there's little to worry about. Just take care of yourself, Nel. This will be a hard time in your life, but it's good to see that you have support."

Principal Romeria gave one last smile before she excused herself, leaving the couple by themselves. Nel immediately let out a large sigh and leaned against Albel. "The truth's finally out."

Albel spared her a glance before snorting loudly. "And everyone's okay with it."

"More like you'll make sure they're okay with it."

He smirked, "Whatever works."

Suddenly Albel caught Nel off guard by placing her in front of him and bringing her into an embrace. She gasped from surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around him. The embrace was unexpected but it felt right to the both of them, and they comfortably enjoyed the hug in silence.

Yes, whatever may happen next, as scary or unknown as it might be, they'd be together to get through it. Things were truly going right.

XXXXX

And I've finally updated!

I'm sure you're all happy! I've got another four chapters planned to write up. We're starting to wrap this up, folks!

So thanks for sticking around so far!

P.S. If you were trying to leave a review on the last chapter and weren't able to, it was because I changed one of the chapters (Chapter 4 A & B into one solid chapter, rather than two), and put the chapters into a proper order. But because a "Chapter 10" had already been established, which was my Chapter 9, you couldn't review on it. You can leave word on this chapter though, no problems! :)

Until next time!


	12. Chapter 12

OTM 12

XXXXX

Time was passing quickly since Nel had finally come to terms with her pregnancy and had revealed it to her peers. School only had three weeks left putting her at the end of her sixth month where she was more than showing now.

Of course her peers were a little too curious at times and often took to staring at her when she walked by, but none dared to say anything rude lest they wished to face the wrath of Nel's dear boyfriend and fiancé, Albel Nox.

If they were shocked to see what happened to their respected student role model, then they were floored to see how Albel was taking responsibility for his actions, an act not anticipated from him at all.

Albel was never far away from Nel; he was always within reach if not right next to her. The former bully was acting the unexpectedly perfect boyfriend.

Everyone was questioning his reasons for doing it, some saying he was bought out to stay with her, others saying he was feeling extremely guilty for it, and last but not least a small amount saying he was staying for the moment but will leave as soon as the opportunity presents itself. They were all wrong.

Something he didn't expect was happening. He had fallen in love, but didn't know it.

Nel knew about her feelings, of course, knew that she loved the brunette-blonde man but was resigned to keeping her feelings to herself. She didn't know what Albel felt for her, but she told herself it wasn't love. She didn't want to get her hopes up only to be sorely disappointed; it was one of her rules about relationships after all.

But she was content with their current close relationship, enjoying how surprisingly gentle Albel was being with her. Honestly, to outsiders, she was sure they looked very in love. If only one day...

XXXXX

Albel, for once, was not next to his expectant fiancée, he was alone on the school roof contemplating the last few months he'd dedicated to Nel. Certainly in that short time span he had felt more emotionally than he had in the past few years of his life, but he was still sorting through these emotions, trying to figure out just what exactly it was that he felt when he was with Nel.

Pondering it deeply, Albel realized he felt very at ease when around Nel, maybe a bit mischievous at times, but out of a deep interest to see what response he'd invoke from the woman. Oh, definitely interest was there. It was probably one of the first feelings he had when he was around her, and it hasn't changed much. He's still interested; maybe a lot more than before.

Thinking further he added desire to the list, due to his untamed want to suddenly hold Nel in his arms. He really wasn't a touchy feely guy, but holding Nel felt so right, it became an addiction that he didn't quite want to drop. He didn't understand why the desire was so strong. He figured it must be stemming from a stronger emotion he was not yet aware of.

Last but not least he added happiness to the list of emotions; happiness in the form of content, at least. He was pleased with Nel, finding her company most enjoyable. And just like with his desire to hug her, Albel found himself wanting to be near her often as well, which was also strange for him because he was normally a solitary guy, only letting a few be around him constantly.

All of the emotions he'd pondered were emotions he knew, but he still felt as if there was one emotion he had yet to address. It was a feeling that was sitting on his chest like a dead weight, always there but had remained unnamed.

It was driving him insane not knowing what the emotion was. All he knew was that a lot of the other emotions he had pondered over were underneath this overarching emotion.

Happiness, content, desire...what did it add up to?

And then an emotion he hadn't thought he would ever experience came rushing through his mind.

Love.

He scrunched his face with confusion as the thought appeared. Could it really be love? He wouldn't really know since he had never been in love before. But the idea of being in love with Nel did not disgust him, nor upset him as it did at the beginning.

If he was really in love with Nel, then that just made their whole situation that much easier.

But he needed to determine if he was in love first.

XXXXX

It was now after the last football practice of the school year and a good amount of the team had already packed up, said their goodbyes, and had gone home. Albel and his friends, Cliff and Fayt, were still there though, taking their time putting away their stuff and relaxing.

Just as Albel finished zipping up his bag, he looked over at his friends curiously. Remembering his need to ask about the feelings involved in being in love, he figured now would be as good as any to ask.

"Hey, what is happening when you become...anxious? Maybe excited would be more accurate...every time you see or think of a specific person?"

Both boys' heads turned to Albel, staring confusedly at the man. Fayt spoke up, "Was that directed at us?"

"I'm pretty sure I don't talk to imaginary friends like you do, Fayt."

The blue haired teen shrugged, "Well you never know..."

"Just answer the question please!"

Cliff put on a contemplative face. "That's a hard question to answer, but if that's what you say you feel then I'd say you're in love."

Albel stiffened as he heard Cliff's conclusion. So that was what love was? "Love makes you...happy when you see that person?"

"Yep! Or at least that's how I feel when I'm with Mirage. I always look forward to the next moment we'll be with each other. That's just one of the ways I know that I'm really in love with her."

Fayt snickered, "You seem pretty curious about love, Albel."

Albel's eyes narrowed, "Who said it me who was feeling that way?"

He scoffed. "Well you wouldn't have asked for someone else."

Albel's narrowed eyes soon became a deep glare as he knew that he couldn't refute that. Cliff chuckled knowing they hit the nail on the head.

"You must have asked for a reason. Think you're in love?"

Albel didn't immediately respond but the pause was enough for Fayt to jump in.

"I doubt he'd be dating our lovely Ms. Perfect otherwise."

"Well, Albel?"

"I..I knew I felt something for her, but I didn't have a name for the emotion."

"So you liked Nel, but wasn't sure you LOVED her?" Fayt summed up.

Once again Albel was quiet, letting that be his answer. Honestly, he didn't know what he was feeling for the red head even though he was dating her. Heck, he was ENGAGED to her and he didn't know what he felt about it, until now that is.

Albel was surprised with himself. Compared to when he had first learned of her pregnancy and how adamant he was against it, he couldn't believe that in the short time that he and Nel had been with each other, he had grown to like her so much. He was more than okay with getting married to her now, and now that love was truly in the equation, he could see that things may be a lot smoother in their future.

"You should tell her quickly, Albel. She's due soon, and alongside the commitment you're giving her for the child, you should give her your love. It's the least you could do." Fayt's words sank in and Albel knew it was the truth.

With a sigh he shrugged on his bag and stood up, seriousness in his expression. Albel gave a small wave indicating his leave before stepping out of the locker room. His friends knew what he had left to do; he was going to talk to Nel.

XXXXX

He drove to Nel's house, parking out front of the large mansion. Just before leaving the car he tried to relax his flustered heart and gather his bearings. This was going to be another life changing confession as he had never confessed his love for anyone, even when he was in his short relationships. Falling in love with her and then made willing enough to confess his love for her basically meant that she'd somehow gotten through to his heart without his knowledge.

He finally slipped out of the car and approached the front door, knocking on it as soon as he was in front of it. A maid answered the door and he was escorted inside.

"Young master Albel; Miss Nel is in her room right now. Would you like to visit her?"

"Yes, but I'll see myself up. Please inform her parents that I've come and that I'll be joining for dinner." Albel made his way up the stairs and to Nel's room, slowing down once he was in front of her door.

After two knocks he heard Nel call out to enter and he opened the door. "Nel..." he said aloud.

"Oh, Albel!" Nel exclaimed, struggling in her bed to sit up.

Albel briskly walked over and helped her up, propping a pillow behind her to make her position more comfortable. Once done he sat himself next to her on the bed, staring at her with the most serious expression she had seen to date.

"Is there something wrong, Albel?" Nel questioned quietly.

"Not really...rather, something I wasn't anticipating has happened."

"Oh? What may that be, if you don't mind me asking?"

Before Albel continued, he glanced her over, tracing her features with his eyes and finding that the emotion of love was in fact swelling within him. He began to speak slowly, "It seems that I've begun to have deeper...feelings for you."

Albel didn't need to say those three special words for Nel to understand what he was confessing, she knew that wasn't really his thing, but to still have him tell her this was causing her own heart to beat wildly in her chest from the excitement and happiness that the feeling was mutual.

Nel embraced him after his confession, showing through her actions that she accepted his feelings. "I love you too, Albel." She said into his neck.

Albel brought his arms around her, letting the embrace spike the lovely emotions that were coursing through him.

He felt complete, as if it was truly the right thing. He liked it, and he wanted to feel that way for the rest of his life if possible.

Albel moved back just enough so he could look Nel in the face and kiss her lips tenderly. Though they had been dating for quite a few weeks now, they had rarely indulged in kissing, mostly participating in minor physical contact like holding hands and hugging. But the occasion was perfect for the lip lock and so the young couple shared in it with excitement.

The kiss started to turn up the heat between them, causing Nel to squirm closer to Albel, and for him to run his hands down to cup her butt. Nel groaned, opening her mouth and inadvertently gave Albel access to explore her mouth with his tongue.

Just as Albel was guiding them to lie back against the covers, Nel gasped loudly and broke their kiss.

Albel looked at her strangely when she suddenly landed a hand on her large tummy, looking at it with anticipation. "What's wrong? Why did we stop?" He was slightly peeved that their first make out session had been halted.

Nel merely took one of his hands and placed it against her stomach saying, "Wait and you'll feel it."

Albel eyes widened considerably when he felt a small push against his hand while on Nel's belly.

Nel smiled brightly, "That's our baby, Albel. It started kicking after school while you were away."

Albel hadn't said a thing in reaction to the baby's movement, but his expression was more than enough. He was truly in awe of the situation, once again having the feeling of being complete. He was truly glad that he had stayed now, realizing that this whole situation had changed his life for the better.

He rubbed Nel's belly lightly while looking at her lovingly. Yes, this was right, he was in love with the woman in front of him, and was in love with the child she carried.

XXXXX

Since that evening that Albel had confessed, the two had grown even closer together, and many of their student peers were refuting their thoughts that Albel might up and leave Nel at any day. Their moments together seemed to have gotten less awkward and exponentially sweeter, varying from minor hand holding, to rather hot and heavy, and not so secretive, kisses behind everyone's back.

Things seemingly couldn't have gotten better...and yet somehow it did.

The last three weeks of school had finished, ending school and bringing the graduation ceremony that the twelfth graders were eager for. Nel, though now heavily pregnant in her seventh month, had remained very studious, earning her top marks and title of Valedictorian, and putting the responsibility of a graduation speech on her shoulders.

She knew the speech could easily be written, mentioning all the good times she and her classmates had shared while in school, but she wanted it to be different; she wanted to share one last bit of wisdom with her classmates and friends, about futures they sometimes have no control over.

XXXXX

After the opening procession of the soon-to-graduate students and a welcome speech from the principal, Nel's turn to speak had arrived.

"And now, presenting the valedictorian speech…Nel Zelpher!"

Nel carefully walked up the steps to the stage. Slight nervousness was creeping in as she became aware of the many stares directed to her rounded stomach, but one glance at Albel and receiving a nod and a gentle smirk from him surprisingly calmed her down quickly.

She adjusted the microphone on the podium and cleared her throat before she began to address the crowd.

"Class of 2010, congratulations is in order. We've worked hard for years and have reached a major milestone in our life journey. And it is something we should look upon with pride. But from here on out, things are going to change. From here on out, you're going into a future that is uncertain.

I know all of you are moving on to another leg of the journey, maybe to college, maybe to work, maybe some of you still don't know yet. But no matter what path it is you're taking, you won't know what's going to happen along the way; you won't know the outcome. Things may change; they might not go the right way at all. Take me for example. My aim was to head to Aquios University and study law, to become a lawyer, but I didn't know, didn't even think that my path might take me a different way. I never once thought that my future could change so drastically...

But it's a future I'm embracing with everything I've got. Even though I'm not sure what the outcome may be, this is my path and I must take it.

And so, my fellow classmates, I leave you with this parting message: while the road you may take is foreign and the future beyond it is uncertain, walk the path with determination, with strength to get you through. Maybe that uncertain future will be brighter and more joyful than anything you imagined.

Again, congratulations, Class of 2010!"

Nel left the podium and a roar of applause sounded out for her. She happened to glance up and see that several people were standing up to applaud her and her speech.

She smiled brightly, happy to know that her speech was successful and that a lesson could be learned and shared from her pregnancy.

After Nel sat herself down once more, the ceremony continued, having a speech from the student council president before the diplomas were passed out. Before everyone knew it, the graduation ceremony had ended and the students were cheering with happiness that their high school years were done.

Nel took her time leaving the giant hall where the graduation took place, running into several of her friends and fellow classmates that wished to share one last word with her before parting. She got plenty of well wishes for the baby as well as congratulations and praise for being a top student and so kind a person.

She couldn't have escaped the crowd, of course, without seeing her friends again. Tynave and Farleen hugged her as soon they found her and made her swear to keep in contact with them. The two girls were very close friends of hers, so she knew she would have no trouble keeping up with them.

Once she parted ways with them, she finally reached Cliff and Fayt's gang.

"Hey Nel, that was a very good speech!" Fayt complimented.

"Yeah, this short guy was about to cry!" joked Cliff, earning him a punch in the arm.

"It was very touching though, Nel, and I will definitely remember your words as I go down my own path." Maria spoke up as the two men started to bicker.

"Yes, Nel, you are truly a model to follow."

Nel smiled, "Thank you very much."

Arms suddenly wrapped themselves around Nel's rounded waist, but she knew immediately who it was. "Albel, there you are! I was trying to find you."

"Well as you can see around you, I had to battle my way through hoards of maggots' relatives. I have prevailed though and you should now exclaim gratefulness for my presence."

Nel rolled her eyes before she leaned back against him and gave a shy smile to the group of friends in front of them.

Sophia gushed immediately at the sight and said, "You'll invite me to your wedding, won't you?"

"Sure," Nel agreed. "But the actual wedding will not happen until after the baby has been born."

"Oooh, well then, can I hold the baby during the wedding?"

"I don't see why not."

"Do you really want to put our child in her care and risk traumatizing him or her permanently? She will frighten the child with her face alone." Albel teased.

Sophia pouted while the rest laughed light heartedly, though in the end she did join in the laughter as well. It would be a great last high school memory within the group of friends.

When the whole gang said their goodbyes, exchanged promises of gathering again soon, and went their own ways, Albel and Nel were finally left alone with each other.

Nel was still within his embrace, her back pressed firmly against his tight chest – it was one of his favorite things to do with her, holding her in this way. He leaned his head close to her ear and whispered, "We're finally done with school. Do you know what that means?"

Nel shook her head lightly, not knowing what Albel was getting at. He continued, "Our wedding is approaching."

"And you seem excited."

"Well I personally wouldn't use the word, 'excited' - it doesn't really suit my disposition - but I am fully anticipating the date." His usual smirk filled his face. He continued, "But you know what I've come to realize?"

"Hmm?"

"I never formally proposed to you." With that, Albel suddenly pulled away and turned Nel around to face him. With a serious face, and surprisingly very warm eyes, he took her left hand in his and proceeded to say, "Nel Zelpher, despite the circumstances that has brought us together, I have realized my feelings for you and know that a union between us will be more than acceptable. It's become something I want, and...I hope you will too..."

Albel reached into his pocket to retrieve the ring he had placed there earlier. As soon as it was in his hand, he slid the ring on Nel's left ring finger and asked, "Will you marry me?"

Nel stared at the ring in shock, completely not anticipating Albel's formal proposal. Her tears began to cloud her eyes as thoughts of how perfectly life was turning out for her filled her mind. She smiled happily as she fingered the ring, observing its simple, yet elegant design.

Looking him straight I'm the eyes, Nel responded with a slow nod, her tears of happiness now running down her face from the action.

Albel, already knowing that words did not need to be shared in order to come to a mutual understanding, was very pleased with her answer and did not hesitate to bring her into his arms once more.

He leaned his face in and took her mouth in a deep kiss, electrifying their hearts to the core.

And while there were still several people around them, they uncaringly continued to kiss, letting everyone know how serious they were for each other and the life they would now lead before them.

Just as Nel had said, although the path before her was still unknown, with Albel at her side, she knew she wouldn't be alone.

XXXXX

And I've finally updated!

I am specifically dedicating this chapter to Karramon from DeviantArt because she made an awesome animation on Chapter 11 of OTM! If you haven't seen it yet, the link is on my profile, so check it out! And if possible, leave a comment on her page!

We're closing in on the ending. Another three or four chapters left, folks, and this long running fanfiction will have reached its end.

Thank you for sticking with it for so long! Please continue to do so! I promise I'll finish it!


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